HYDERABAD

Working president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K.T. Rama Rao blamed Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for the Centre’s denial of approval to the Phase-II of Hyderabad Metro Rail project so far, stating that it is a glaring example of the Congress government’s incompetence and inability to safeguard the interests of Telangana.

He alleged that despite making 71 visits to New Delhi, the Chief Minister has failed to secure the Centre’s approval for Metro Phase-II, exposing his ineffective leadership. The Chief Minister lacks the courage to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Government due to political compulsions arising from the alleged ‘cash-for-vote’ case pending against him.

“While the Central government has approved metro projects for cities such as Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad and others, the Telangana government has failed to obtain clearance for HMR Phase-II. The Chief Minister owes an explanation to the people of Hyderabad why he could not secure this crucial project”, Mr. Rama Rao said in a statement on Monday.

Unable to question the Centre over its discrimination against Telangana, Mr. Revanth Reddy was resorting to the cheap tactic of blaming the opposition BRS to divert public attention from his own failures, the BRS leader said. Mr. Reddy had entered into a covert understanding with the BJP and that was the reason why his repeated visits to Delhi had yielded no results.

Recollecting the Chief Minister’s own remarks that he was treated dismissively during his visits to Delhi, Mr. Rama Rao said it would reflect his inability to effectively represent the State’s interests before the Centre.

“The people of Hyderabad deserve answers as to why approvals and financial support that were secured swiftly during the BRS government are now being delayed under the Congress administration”, he said and asserted that the credit for successfully completing the HMR project belongs entirely to former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

The Congress government was prioritising metro connectivity to a ‘non-existent imaginary city’ driven by personal interests instead of focusing on routes that would benefit the public, Mr. Rama Rao alleged. He accused the Chief Minister of shelving the Phase-II project over the last two-and-a-half years and reiterated that the cancellation of the Shamshabad Metro corridor soon after assuming office was a betrayal of Hyderabad’s residents.

He demanded that the State government immediately clarify its roadmap for Metro Phase-II and ensure that Hyderabad’s long-term transportation needs were not compromised.