HYDERABAD: Recalling Jaipal Reddy’s vital contribution in making the Hyderabad Metro a functional reality, NVS Reddy, managing director of Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL), said: “Jaipal Reddy sanctioned the Viability Gap Funding during his tenure as the Minister for Urban Development. He had constant faith in the Metro project, even as contentions were drawn up.” According to the HMRL MD, Reddy played a key role in granting state governments freedom to execute modern metro rail projects, without interference from Ministry of Railways.
NVS Reddy said that the Ministry of Railways back then was insisting on the adoption of broad gauge (ie., 5 feet 6 inches) and control over the metro projects in Indian cities. Delhi metro phase 1 was built with broad gauge. “But E Sreedharan,” NVS Reddy said, “struggled as broad gauge metro coaches were not available. He had to get SG coaches imported and altered to BG dimensions.”
The GoI then appointed a GoM (Group of Ministers) headed by Sharad Pawar to decide metro rail policy issues for the country. “Jaipal Reddy, then Minister of Urban Development, was one of the members. That is when I met Jaipal and sought his guidance. He advised us to make the GoM understand the issues in simple terms without using much technical jargon,” added NVS Reddy.
Talking about the success of the presentation, he said, “I made a presentation accordingly to GoM and explained as to how the wider gauge BG was not suitable for city conditions.” According to him, other than Lalu Prasad, all other Members of GoM supported their stand. “That’s how all metros in Indian cities could be built as world class metros with state of the art technologies,” he quipped.
Kalwakurthy bids adieu to four-time legislator
Paying their tributes to the veteran leader who represented their constituency four times, denizens from Kalwakurthy Assembly constituency expressed their sadness at the demise of their leader. Many villagers came all the way from Kalwakurthy to pay homage to their leader at his residence in Jubilee Hills of Hyderabad. “Jaipal Reddy was an inspiration for all of us. He used to practice value-based politics. No one from our constituency will ever forget him for his contribution towards the development of Kalwakurthy,” B Mohan Reddy, a resident of Kalwakurthy stated