KTR meets Puri, seeks approvals, assistance for multiple projects

KT Rama Rao appealed to Puri to introduce a National Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme on the lines of the existing MGNREGS to help the urban poor in the country

Hyderabad: Continuing his efforts to get Central assistance for further improve public transportation and the road network in the Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration, to make Hyderabad a cleaner city and to enhance the metrics and performance in solid and liquid waste management in the State, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao met Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs HS Puri in New Delhi on Saturday.

He also appealed to Puri to introduce a National Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (NUEGS) on the lines of the existing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to help the urban poor in the country.

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Reiterating the State’s appeal to expedite approval for the 26 km Hyderabad Metro Rail line from BHEL to Lakdikapul and the five km-Metro line from Nagole to LB Nagar, Rama Rao said a detailed project report was already submitted to the Centre.

Stating that the State was proposing to provide Mass Rapid Transit System ie., Metro Neo network along the 30km-Kukatpally Housing Board – Kokapet – Narsingi corridor to ensure mass transit connectivity to Kokapet, which was evolving into the Central Business District in the West part of the city, Rama Rao said this would also have connectivity with the proposed Airport Express at Narsingi and with the existing Metro network at Financial District. The preliminary estimate of the project cost was Rs 3,050 crore and the Minister urged the Centre to sanction Rs 450 crore towards a 15 percent equity. A similar MRTS was also being planned in Warangal, he said.

On the NUEG, the Minister said there was a need to introduce a scheme or policy to safeguard the interests of the urban poor. A majority of the urban poor work in the unorganized sector with irregular salaries, no written job contracts and with no social protection. This was evident during the lockdown, he said, calling for introspection and long lasting solutions.

Regarding missing link corridors to improve urban transportation and road network, the Minister said the Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Limited (HRDCL) had taken up development of 22 missing links roads. Further, to improve missing link connectivity and comprehensive road connectivity till the Outer Ring Road, 104 additional corridors were identified to be taken up at a cost of Rs 2,400 crore. The Minister urged the Centre to sanction Rs 800 crore towards this.

Pointing out that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation was adjudged as the ‘Best Capital City in Solid Waste Management’, Rama Rao requested Puri to sanction Rs.400 crore for solid waste management projects in the city. For the development of sewer network infrastructure for liquid waste collection in Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration, the State government was planning STPs, sewer network of lateral mains, sub-mains and trunk sewer mains in phases. The DPR had pegged the estimated cost at Rs 3,722.83 crore, he said, requesting to the Centre to sanction Rs 744.56 crore, which is 20 percent of the project cost.

The Minister also sought Rs 100 crore for establishing a Sanitation Innovation Hub in Telangana. This would be part of the Urban Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad. The proposed hub would provide tangible health and economic benefits and offer services to ULBs in sourcing, testing, accelerating and disseminating innovations. The State government has already earmarked land and support resources for this initiative, he said.

Puri, who expressed admiration for the Sanitation Hub initiative, asked the State to share its innovative ideas and provide details at an upcoming meeting organized by his Ministry.