HYDERABAD: On Tuesday 28 November, Hyderabad became seventh Indian city to have its own Metro rail system.
But Metro Rail which has received an overwhelming response is unlikely to chug into the Old City as the state government said that it is not viable.
The authorities have erased a stretch of about 6 km, which heads into dense Old City corridor and is part of the 15 km rail Corridor-II from JBS to Falaknuma from the Metro map.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party has no issues with this and seems to be Okayed with it.
According to sources reported by Times Of India, the actual project cost to lay the 5.5 km stretch is expected to be about 1,000 crore. As per the agreement, the government has to bear the cost of properties acquisition.
Therefore KCR government have to shell out 3,000 crore towards land and structural compensation to 1,100 properties in Old City because of which it is reluctant.
“Thus, the Metro in Old City would cost the state over 3,000 crore while the developer needs to spend only 1,000 crore. Besides, the government is worried about facing the wrath of the people if it resorts to forcible land acquisition,” said the sources.
The MIM had earlier opposed the alignment and later suggested an alternative route to the government which leads to a rise in project cost.
When TOI asked MIM floor leader and MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, he told “We had suggested an alternative route as the original proposal would have eaten away 1,100 properties. Our party is not against the Metro as per the original alignment. The ball is in the government’s court to take up the project in Old City.”
Akbaruddin said the MIM does not believe in agitations and bandh calls to build pressure on the Old City project. He said, “Our party gave a bandh call 40 years ago in 1978, but has not done so since then. But we will continue to demand the Metro project,” he said.