Telangana Assembly passes resolution to take over Hyderabad Metro Phase-I, Harish Rao objects

The Telangana Assembly approved a resolution to take over Phase-I of Hyderabad Metro Rail from L&T, citing hurdles in expansion. CM Revanth Reddy said the move was vital for Phase-II proposals.

Hyderabad: The Telangana Legislative Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution endorsing the State government’s decision to take over Phase-I of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project from L&T. However, the opposition BRS protested that the government was claiming it as a unanimous resolution, without seeking views from the Opposition members.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy moved the resolution, stating that the takeover through Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) was necessary to address technical, legal and administrative hurdles in expanding the network. Phase-I of the project spans 69 km and is currently under private management by L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited.

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The Chief Minister informed the House that proposals have already been submitted to the Centre for Phase-II A (76.4 km) and Phase-II B (86.1 km). He said the Centre raised concerns over taking up further phases under a public-private partnership while Phase-I remained with a private operator.

“To overcome these constraints and ensure seamless expansion, the government decided to take over Phase-I,” he said.

The resolution was adopted with the Chair, Congress MLA Balu Naik, announcing its passage. The Chief Minister later thanked members for what he described as “unanimous support” to a decision aimed at strengthening Hyderabad’s public transport and enhancing its global profile.

However, BRSLP deputy leader T Harish Rao immediately registered a strong protest, stating that the resolution could not be termed unanimous as the opposition’s views were not taken into account. Raising the issue after the voting on Demands for Grants for 2026–27, he said the manner in which the resolution was pushed through undermined legislative conventions.

“The opposition was not consulted. Our views were not recorded. This cannot be called a unanimous resolution,” he asserted.

The takeover decision follows the State government’s 2025 agreement to acquire L&T’s stake in the project by paying around Rs 2,000 crore for equity and assuming approximately Rs 13,000 crore in debt. L&T, which holds about 90 per cent equity, earlier expressed its intent to exit the project citing operational challenges and accumulated losses.