Kishan Reddy flags delays in HMR phase‑II DPR, says ‘rhetoric won’t get permissions’

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy has reiterated that the Centre will examine the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) Phase II proposals only after the Telangana Government submits a Detailed Project Report (DPR) following its planned takeover of Phase I from L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH).

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, he said the State Government had taken “two-and-a-half years” but had still not completed the DPR. “When will Metro expansion take place? It is not enough for the Chief Minister to write a letter on a white sheet and expect immediate clearances from the Centre,” he remarked.

Mr. Reddy said the Centre had sought several clarifications: the current status of the Phase I network, number of trains in operation, maintenance responsibilities, integration with Phase II regarding ticketing systems and infrastructure, and cost‑sharing modalities. “Approvals cannot come on the basis of rhetoric,” he added.

The Minister claimed the State responded only after he communicated the need for a revised DPR, which the Cabinet has now approved. He said that despite the State not contributing to MMTS Phase II, the Centre had completed the project at a cost of more than ₹1,000 crore and work on the Yadadri link would begin soon.

He also said the Centre plans to ground three high‑speed rail corridors connecting Hyderabad with Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai by 2028, alongside major upgrades to railway stations and infrastructure in the region. Referring to Hyderabad’s rapid growth, he said civic infrastructure—particularly drinking water supply, sewerage, slum development, and the condition of government schools—had not kept pace with the city’s expansion.

Neither the previous BRS Government nor the present Congress Government has done much on the civic issues, he said. On the Musi River rejuvenation project, he stated that the BJP was not opposed to the initiative but had concerns regarding rehabilitation of long‑settled households and whether beautification could be achieved using existing retaining walls.

In a separate development, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar demanded immediate release of ₹27,000 crore under the ‘Rythu Bharosa’ scheme to 67 lakh farmers, warning that the BJP would launch an agitation if the promised support was not provided.

Earlier, BJP State president N. Ramchander Rao alleged that the Congress and Majlis Party were operating through a “secret understanding”, especially in the context of the upcoming GHMC elections. He also referred to former BRS MLC K. Kavitha’s acquittal in the Delhi liquor case as a “technical error” between the CBI and its legal team.