HYDERABAD: Clarifying that there were no plans to scrap Hyderabad Pharma City and Airport Metro, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday said that the state government would establish 10 pharma villages around Hyderabad and streamline the proposed alignment of the Airport Metro Rail.
He said that the government was planning to make changes to the proposed route of Airport Metro to make it viable and to get the funds for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
In an informal chat with reporters at the Secretariat, Revanth also said that a State Advisory Council, on the lines of the National Advisory Council, which was headed by Sonia Gandhi during the UPA government, would be constituted to prepare the syllabus, look into employment and other issues for a better future for the youth.
He recalled that the BRS government proposed the Metro Rail from Raidurg to the RGIA, a length of 32 km. The BRS government also proposed to have another route from BHEL to Lakdikapul, taking the total proposed length to around 60 km. “But utilising the existing sectors and providing just six km Metro would be cost-effective,” Revanth felt.
“The previous government focused on real estate in proposing the Airport Metro,” the chief minister said. “The BRS government wanted to create another liability like the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. I am not scrapping the Airport Metro. The plan is to streamline or redefine it to create assets for the future,” Revanth said.
The BRS government had invited tenders for Airport Metro with an estimated cost of Rs 9,000 crore.
Viability reason behind proposal to change Airport Metro route
“If the alignment is changed, the Metro can reach RGIA by using the existing six sectors. This proposal will cost less than Rs 9,000 crore. I am reassessing the same and trying to rationalise it,” the chief minister said.
He said that once the existing sectors are used to connect the RGIA, more people could utilise it. Revanth pointed out that very few people would be able to use the Raidurg to RGIA route. Once the proposal is redefined, then it would become viable and it could get funds from the Centre for its execution,” the chief minister explained. He proposed the Airport Metro through the Old City — from LB Nagar to MGBS-Falaknuma via Owaisi Hospital.
Pharma villages
The chief minister said that the Hyderabad Pharma city cannot be located near the airport. He recalled the New York airport too was shifted due to the pharma industry. The government was proposing to have 10 pharma villages in place of a Pharma City in one place. Each village or cluster will be developed in 2,000 acres to 3,000 acres, he said. The 10 clusters would be created in around 30,000 acres.
The chief minister said that the government would give incentives to pharma companies and also develop residential colonies with schools, hospitals and other facilities. Another city would be developed in these villages to accommodate more than one crore population, he said.
Advisory Council
On the proposed State Advisory Council, of which the chief minister will be the chairperson, Revanth said that intellectuals and academicians, including Prof G Haragopal, Prof K Nageshwar, Akunuri Murali Krishna and RS Praveen Kumar would be included in the Council. A secretary-level committee with respective departments too would be constituted to assist the Council. The Council would make decisions on framing the syllabus, employment and other aspects.
All educational institutions of SC, ST, BC, OBC, EBC and others would come under the Council, which would also monitor the fee reimbursement scheme, the chief minister said.
The Council’s office will be located at Praja Bhavan, the camp office of former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. The chief minister revealed that he is currently studying the “Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Policy Studies and Research on Social Justice and Empowerment” and may finalise it soon.
State guest house: The camp office of late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, which was used by gunmen during the BRS government, would be made a state guest house. The building used by KT Rama Rao was allotted for residential purposes to Minister Danasari Anasuya on Monday.
Earlier, the Praja Bhavan was allotted to Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. The conference hall used by KCR would be used as the office for the proposed State Advisory Council, the chief minister explained.