Hyderabad, January 31: The Telangana Jagruthi Samithi (TJS) has demanded a halt to the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) project till a comprehensive review is made on its several aspects.
TJS convener, Kalvakuntla Kavitha told reporters that several heritage buildings and the Koti-Kachiguda market area would be badly affected, if the project went ahead. “We oppose demolition of the heritage market as it would affect livelihood of lakhs of people,” she said. “The HMR project is looking more like a real estate project with hundreds of acres of prime lands to be handed over to the L&T company,” she added.
“At a time when the Telangana movement is in a crucial stage, there seems to be a sinister design in handing over prime land and we demand a stop to this transfer,” Kavitha said.
“If the state government doesn’t put the project on hold, we are planning to take legal action to stop this project,” she said.
C Ramachandraiah, founder, Citizens for a Better Public Transport in Hyderabad, said the alternatives available would keep public transportation within the reach of millions of people, without causing much damage to city’s heritage and livelihoods. But authorities were not interested in improving public transport, he added.
–Agencies