Stop blaming BRS to hide your inefficiency: KTR hits back at Revanth Reddy over Metro Phase-II delay
BRS working president KT Rama Rao criticised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over the delay in Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase-II, alleging the Congress government failed to secure Central approval despite repeated visits to Delhi and accusing it of mishandling Metro expansion plans
Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao hit back at Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over the delay in taking up Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase-II. Accusing the Chief Minister of attempting to shift blame onto the BRS, he said the Congress government had failed to convince the Centre despite Revanth Reddy making 71 visits to New Delhi.
In a strong counter, Rama Rao said the Congress government’s failure to secure the Central government’s approval for Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase-II indicated its incompetent governance and a complete inability to protect Telangana’s interests. He questioned why Metro projects were sanctioned for cities in Uttar Pradesh, Ahmedabad and Visakhapatnam, while Hyderabad’s Phase-II proposal remained pending.
“The failure to secure Metro Phase-II approval is proof of Revanth Reddy’s incompetent governance. Unable to question the Prime Minister, he is resorting to blaming the opposition,” he said, adding that the Chief Minister was incapable of pressing the BJP-led Centre due to the pending “cash-for-vote” case.
The BRS working president demanded that Revanth Reddy apologise to the people of Hyderabad for a complete failure to secure the Metro expansion project and for jeopardising the future of the existing Metro network. “When you yourself have said they look at you in Delhi like someone who steals slippers, your true standing has been exposed,” he said, stating that the Chief Minister lacked either the will or the standing to demand answers from the Centre.
He pointed out that blaming the BRS for blocking Central funds amounted to conceding that K Chandrashekhar Rao was more powerful than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Contrasting the two governments, Rama Rao recalled that the Congress had left Metro construction stalled at 28 per cent before 2014. He stated that after assuming office in 2014, the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao secured loans, overcame Central indifference, and completed the project, delivering a system that now carries five lakh passengers daily.
The former Municipal Administration Minister also criticised the Congress government’s Metro expansion plans, alleging that the proposed Phase-II alignment was designed around a non-existent imaginary city rather than Hyderabad’s actual traffic and commuting needs.
In contrast, he said the BRS government prepared a comprehensive Phase-II plan covering 76.4 km across six corridors and 72 stations based on traffic density and future urban growth, covering the city’s busiest routes.
He accused the Congress government of shelving this plan and also the Shamshabad Airport Metro project for past two-and-a-half years, as part of political sabotage.
On L&T’s exit from the Metro project, Rama Rao said the Congress government threatened the company’s CFO and systematically intimidated its leadership, creating uncertainty around Hyderabad Metro Rail. He termed it a conspiracy to gain control over Metro assets worth Rs 30,000 crore and valuable land parcels linked to the project. “The future of Hyderabad Metro is being mortgaged for personal gain,” he said.
He warned that if Revanth Reddy did not account for his failures in a city like Hyderabad, which he called a mini India, neither he nor his party would find political ground to stand on.
