HYDERABAD: Union tourism minister G Kishan Reddy wrote a letter to Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao stating several rail projects were getting delayed in Telangana due to ‘lack of cooperation from the state government’ as he termed it.
Kishan Reddy said there was laxity on the part of the state government even pertaining to the MMTS phase-2 project. He explained the state had contributed only 129 cr when its share was 760 cr. Though the railway board had agreed to extend the MMTS connecting under phase-2 to Yadadri at the request of the state government, the project could not take off as it was yet to contribute its share of two-third cost, the minister, who represents Secunderabad in the Lok Sabha, said.
In the letter written on Monday, he said TRS leaders have been alleging that the Centre was not releasing funds for railway projects in the state. “The fact is the state government itself is not releasing its due share of funds and not completing land acquisition for rail projects,” he said.
Kishan Reddy said in the last seven year under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule, the allocations for rail projects by the Centre had increased by nine times. He pointed out that while the budget allocated was 250 cr for rail projects in Telangana during 2014-15, the allocation was 2,420 cr in 2020-21. The increase in railway network was 194 route kilometres. “If only the state contributed its share and completed land acquisition, there would have been far greater progress,” he said.
The Union minister cited examples where the state government had not discharged its responsibility. “For the Manoharabad-Kothapalli new railway line of 151 km, the state government is to bear one-third of the cost and provide land, but 100 cr is still due from the government and 342 hectares of land has not been handed over for development of the railway line,” he said.
While 54 road over bridges have been sanctioned for Telangana, in many cases, he alleged that there was not enough cooperation being received from Telangana with regard to drawing approvals and other technical matters.
