Kishan Reddy Furious At Not Being Invited To Metro Launch

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy today expressed anger and unhappiness over the Hyderabad Metro officials for "violating protocol" and not inviting him for the inauguration of the JBS-MGBS stretch of the Hyderabad Metro recently.

The Union Minister was speaking to the media at the MGBS Metro station after a review meeting he conducted with the Metro officials at the Dilkusha Guesthouse, and then traveling in the Metro from JBS to MGBS along with BJP leaders K Laxman, M Narsimhulu, Ch Ramachandra Reddy and some Metro officials.

Lambasting the "violation", he asked if the inauguration was a TRS party function.

He alleged that an invitation for the function was not extended to him due to political reasons, though he happened to be the MP of the area.

Reddy also demanded that the state government extend the Metro to the Old City which continued to remained backward.

He said that the Centre had sanctioned Rs. 1,450 crore and had already released Rs. 1,200 crore for the Hyderabad Metro following an undertaking that the services would be extended up to Falaknuma. However that work was not taken up so far and the Old City continued to be neglected, he said, and assailed the TRS and the Congress for not caring about its development.

He was also critical of the Metro officials for not displaying the photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Metro rails, though funds were given by the Centre.

Reddy also criticized the state government for its failure to start the MMTS Phase II works. He said that the Centre had already given more than its share of funds for extending the MMTS up to Yadagiri Gutta, but that the state government was yet to release its share for the completion of the phase. He demanded that the state government give its share of Rs. 400 crore for expediting Phase II.