Struggles For Metro Rail Intensify In Old City

Agitation programs for extension of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project to the Old City of Hyderabad have intensified.

Leaders of the Old City Metro Rail JAC today warned the BRS government that it would not be spared if it cheated the people of the Old City, and added that they would intensify their struggles for the extension of the Metro Rail to the Old City.

They said that as part of their protests, a massive dharna would be held at the proposed Falaknuma metro rail depot in the first week of October.

The leaders of the Old City Metro Rail JAC along with CPI State Secretariat member E T Narasimha, CPI Hyderabad district secretary Chaya Devi, Congress Karwan Assembly constituency incharge Osman Bin Mohammad Hajri, TPCC secretary K Venkatesh, TTDP State joint secretary Peddoju Ravindra Chary, Old City senior Congress leaders Moosa, Haider Jafri and others spoke with mediapersons today at the NSS office.

E T Narasimha said that it was atrocious that the State government was delaying the expansion of the Metro Rail to the Old City, which had half of the population of the Hyderabad metropolitan area. He said that CM K Chandrashekar Rao had promised the State Assembly that the expansion of the Metro to the Old City would be started immediately, and that the State government had sanctioned Rs 500 crore for it. He asked the CM why the work had not started even after allocating the funds and giving instructions to the municipal administration officials.

He warned that the government would face resistance if the Old City Metro connectivity works were stopped under pressure from the MIM, which he claimed did not want the development of the Old City. He said that the construction work of the 5.5 km Metro Rail from MGBS to Falaknuma should be started immediately.

Osman bin Mohammed Hajri said that MA&UD minister K T Rama Rao, had completely failed to fulfil his promise of converting the Old City into Istanbul. He alleged that the people in the Old City area were facing severe difficulties due to lack of Metro connectivity, and that the BRS government was ignoring the promises made to the people of the Old City that the Metro Rail would be extended there. He demanded that the Metro Rail project in the Old City be taken up immediately.

K Venkatesh said that many people from the Old City continued to travel long distances every day for their livelihood, and that they were facing severe difficulties due to lack of proper public transport. Peddoju Ravindra Chary echoed the same views, and said that the Metro Rail would provide a lot of relief to the Old City residents who commuted to far-flung areas every day.