Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao today assured in the Telangana State Assembly to convene shortly an all-party meeting to discus and take a decision on the proposed changes in the metro rail alignment.
The Chief Minister’s assurance came in the wake of the ruckus that was witnessed in the Assembly leading to its repeated adjournments. When the House reassembled, KCR intervened to soothe the ruffled feelings of the TDP and BJP members on the issue and made it clear that a final decision would be taken on proposed changes in the metro rail alignment only after taking into view the suggestions made at the all-party meeting.
KCR reiterated that the state government was keen to complete the metro rail project without disturbing historic structures, monuments and symbols of people’s interests. And for this it was found necessary to make three changes in the rail alignment. The issue relating to the metro rail route from Greenland Guest House to Jubilee Hills is at present pending in the court. In order to prevent any damage or destruction of structures in the busy Sultan Bazar area, the metro rail route is planned via the backside of Koti Women’s College. Likewise in order to maintain the sanctity of the Martyrs Memorial and also protect the historical structure of the State Assembly, the route was now being planned to be from behind the legislature building. Measures are also being taken to see that historical and religious structures are not disturbed in the rail route through old city, he explained.
The Chief Minister announced that an all-party meeting would be convene soon and all these aspects of proposed changes in the metro rail alignments would be thoroughly discussed and a final decision would be taken only after that.
Earlier soon after the Assembly began its proceedings with the Speaker taking up the question hour, the BJP members vociferous demanded that their adjournment motion on the changers in the metro rail alignment should be taken up. Amidst slogan shouting and ruckus created by the BJP members, the Minister for Legislature Affairs T. Harish Rao appealed to the protersting members to maintain decency and dignity of the House by allowing the question hour to be completed. He said that the metro rail issue could be discussed after the question hour. He accused the BJP members of creating the disturbance to prevent the House from taking up the question on IMG lands.
However, the minister’s appeal failed to yield any result and the House was plunged into a pell-mell forcing the Speaker to adjourn for a brief period. There was no respite in the situation when the House reassembled as both the BJP and TDP members began slogan shouting for a discussion on the metro rail realignment. The Speaker again adjourned the House for a brief period. When the House reassembled the Chief Minister intervened and assured to convene the all-party meet to discus the issue and take a final decision, the proceedings commenced. (NSS).
