In a strongly worded address at a press conference held in Delhi on Friday, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister K.T. Rama Rao criticized the Central government’s lack of support for crucial development projects in Hyderabad. The Minister highlighted the stalled Metro Rail expansion plans, the repeated appeals made by the State government, and the failure of both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress in fostering national progress and other crucial issues.
Expressing disappointment, KTR pointed out that despite the significant growth and accomplishments of Telangana State over the past nine years, the Central government’s contribution to Hyderabad’s development has been negligible. KTR highlighted the State government’s repeated appeals to the center for cooperation in the growth of various sectors in Hyderabad. However, the Minister expressed dissatisfaction at the complete lack of contribution from the center to Hyderabad’s development. The Minister emphasized the urgent need for collaboration between the State and Central governments to foster growth in sectors such as IT, Aerospace, Defence, Pharma, and Life Sciences in Hyderabad.
The Minister of MA&UD also addressed the appeals made to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, urging to expedite transfer of defence lands for road development projects in and around Hyderabad. Emphasizing the State government’s persistent appeals to the central government over the past nine years, the Minister expressed optimism for a positive response this time.
The Minister of MA&UD announced his upcoming meeting with Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, during which he plans to reiterate his appeal for the expansion of the Metro Rail from Lakdikapool to BHEL, and from Nagole to LB Nagar. Detailed Project Reports were submitted to the Central government on these matters. He said that though the State government contributed its share for the MMTS, there was no response from the Center. KTR urged the central government to collaborate with the State government to strengthen the public transport system in Hyderabad city. Also, he appealed to the center to support the expansion of the Metro from Patancheru to Hayat Nagar. Ponting at allocation of Metro rail to nearly 10 small towns in Uttar Pradesh, KTR said that the center needs to explain why it is not supporting Metro Rail expansion in Hyderabad.
The Minister asked the Union Minister Kishan Reddy to provide an explanation regarding the lack of support from the Center during the floods in Hyderabad, while funds were readily allocated to Gujarat and other BJP-ruled states. Highlighting the significant financial contributions made by Telangana towards the development of economically disadvantaged BJP-ruled states, Minister KTR emphasized that BJP leaders should express gratitude to the people of Telangana and the State government for their crucial role in the nation-building process.
Affirming the persistent lack of support from the center towards Telangana over the past nine years and foreseeing a continuation of such attitude, the Minister emphasized that if the central government fails to alter its approach, this matter will be raised among the public.
KTR mentioned the successful completion of various programs under the Strategic Road Development Program (SRDP) and highlighted the need for approximately four acres from the Union Home Department to complete the Rasoolpura project under SRDP. However, despite making multiple appeals, Union Minister Kishan Reddy has not responded to the matter. A meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah was sought to address the issue, Minister KTR added.
Expressing a strong belief in the unity of people over the unity of political parties, KTR criticized both the BJP and Congress for their significant failures in the country’s development over the past 75 years. He held these national parties responsible for the inadequate provision of electricity and water supply to several villages. Emphasizing the need for people to unite against these parties, the Minister pledged to foster unity on specific issues and work towards addressing them. Furthermore, he asserted that Narendra Modi is the weakest Prime Minister in the nation’s history. He specifically pointed out that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has consistently criticized Modi’s shortcomings to a greater extent than any other political party. KTR underlined the aim of implementing Telangana’s model of development throughout the entire country.
The Minister expressed that the decennial year celebrations of Telangana State formation were conducted with the aim of showcasing the State’s remarkable development to the global audience. He extended his gratitude to all the participants and contributors who played a significant role in ensuring the success of these celebrations.