Telangana government Tuesday officially communicated to L & T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd changes in the alignment of the proposed Hyderabad Metro Rail at three locations in the city.
Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao made it clear that the government will ensure project completion without affecting heritage structures and places of worship.
In a review meeting with senior LTMRHL, Prime Minister informed them three specific changes.
According to the changes brought to the fore by the government, metro rail pass behind the assembly building to save Telangana martyrs memorial. He also suggested a change in the alignment in Sultan Bazar, an area crowded market.
According to the suggestion of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), the government has also asked the developers to change the entire metro rail alignment in the old city of Hyderabad. MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi in assembly, who attended the meeting, said the realignment was necessary to save many religious structures.
According to the original alignment, the metro will pass Darulshifa, Mir Alam Mandi, Etebar Chowk, Moghalpura and other densely populated and historic. MIM has discussed alternate route along the Musi, Bahadurpura and join Falaknuma Kalapathar river.
A statement from the office of chief minister said the alignment change is necessary in the old city as the project in its current form will affect seven temples, 28 mosques and 1,000 homes.
A few days ago, Prime Minister held a meeting with L & T Chairman AM Naik and other officials. The government had issued a statement saying that the developer has agreed to change the line and announced that he will bear the additional cost.
However, two days later, the chief executive of the concessionaire VB Gadgil denied that the company agreed to changes in alignment. He said the state government was still formally communicate changes he wanted.
These proposed alignments and some other problems between Telangana Rashtra Samithi by (TRS) government and the concessionaire sparked a row last month when a letter from L & T the government threatened to abandon the project was leaked to the media. The company later clarified that it remains committed to the project.
The LTMRHL is building 72 km elevated metro project, said to be the largest in the world in public-private partnership project.
The project cost at the time of signing the concession contract in 2010 was Rs.14,132 crore. The concessionaire said in September this year the cost has increased by Rs 2,500 crore to Rs.3,000 crore due to inflation and other reasons.
The project in the three corridors is scheduled to be completed in 2017. The first phase of the Eight miles that is likely to be operational in March next year.
