HYDERABAD (Metro Rail News): On Sunday, Union Tourism and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said that the Central government has decided to take up 30 railway projects including 15 new railway lines in the state of Telangana, with a total outlay of ₹83,543 crore.
Addressing reporters, Minister Reddy expressed his concerns regarding the “non-cooperation” of the ruling government in Telangana, alleging that it has led to a halt in the progress of laying more than 700 km of railway tracks. He called upon the state government to expedite the land acquisition process for these railway projects and requested their support for initiatives like Phase II of the Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) in Hyderabad.
Despite the challenges posed by the state government’s alleged lack of cooperation, Minister Reddy emphasized that the Union government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, remains dedicated to the development of Telangana and the welfare of its people. He noted that the Railways had recently approved the modernization and redevelopment of 40 railway stations in Telangana, with the Prime Minister virtually inaugurating the foundation laying for 21 of them. A sum of ₹2,300 crore has been released by the Central government for the redevelopment of 40 stations.
Moreover, Mr. Reddy highlighted that between 2004 and 2014, the UPA government sanctioned only five railway projects, with ₹10,192 crore allocated for the construction of just 714 km of new railway lines in Telangana. In contrast, the Modi government has approved 30 projects, encompassing the construction of 5,239 km of new railway lines in the state.
