Hyderabad Metro expansion stalled while Centre clears Vizag, Vijayawada DPRs

The Centre has approved Metro rail projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada while Hyderabad’s Metro expansion proposals remain pending. Telangana accuses the BJP-led government of discrimination, as repeated requests for Phase II approvals have been rejected or delayed, despite similar projects being cleared in other cities.

Hyderabad: In yet another instance of what Telangana sees as discrimination by the BJP-led Central government, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has approved the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for Metro rail projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, while Hyderabad’s Metro expansion proposals continue to remain pending.

MoHUA has reportedly cleared the DPRs for the two Andhra Pradesh cities and forwarded them to the Union Finance Ministry for financial appraisal.

---

The Andhra Pradesh government has proposed a combined Metro rail network of nearly 84 km in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada at an estimated cost of Rs 21,616 crore. The projects will be implemented under a joint venture model, with the Centre and State contributing 20 per cent each. The remaining 60 per cent will be raised through loans from financial institutions.

Though the approval of the Andhra Pradesh projects has no direct bearing on Hyderabad Metro, it has renewed questions over the Centre’s delay in clearing the expansion proposals submitted by Telangana. The State government has been waiting for approval for its Metro Phase II plans for a considerable period. The takeover of the existing Metro Phase I by the State government has also been delayed.

Despite repeated requests from the Telangana government, the Central government continues to delay the approvals, citing different reasons. This is leaving the Metro commuters in Hyderabad fuming.
Hyderabad Metro currently operates a 69.2-km network across three corridors. In 2021, the previous BRS government submitted a DPR for Phase II, covering a 26-km stretch from BHEL to Lakdikapul and a 5-km extension from LB Nagar to Nagole. It also proposed a Mass Rapid Transit System for Kokapet and the Warangal Neo Metro.

The BRS government repeatedly urged the Centre to approve the proposals. However, the Centre rejected Telangana’s Phase II proposal in 2023, citing lower Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic (PHPDT) and insufficient projected ridership.

After the Congress government came to power in December 2023, it proposed seven routes covering 122 km under Phase II-A and three more routes under Phase II-B. However, these proposals have not secured approval so far.

The State government’s efforts to take over Metro Phase I have also made little progress. It has been a month since the Centre agreed to entrust SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAPS) with the valuation and financial assessment of Phase I. The agency may also examine the financing structure for Phase II.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy wrote to union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on July 4, urging him to assign the task to SBICAPS and finalise the Terms of Reference at the earliest.

While Hyderabad’s Metro expansion remains stalled, several other cities have moved ahead. Since January 2024, the Centre has approved Metro rail projects covering more than 380 km in cities including Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Pune and Delhi.

Major approvals include Bengaluru Metro Rail Phase III covering 44.65 km, Chennai Metro Phase II covering 118.9 km, Lucknow Phase IB covering 11.16 km, Ahmedabad Metro Phase IIA covering 6.03 km and Phase IIB covering 3.33 km.

The developments have once again raised questions over the Congress government’s efforts to persuade the Centre to approve Hyderabad’s Metro expansion plans. The State’s eight BJP MPs have also come under criticism for failing to secure approvals for the Metro proposals from the Central government.