Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy reiterated that the Center will examine the Phase II Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) proposals only after the Telangana government submits a Detailed Project Report (DPR) following its planned takeover of Phase I from L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH).
At a press conference on Friday, he said it had taken the state government “two and a half years” but the DPR had still not been completed. “When will metro expansion happen? It is not enough for the Chief Minister to write a letter on a white paper and expect immediate permissions from the Centre,” he observed.
Mr. Reddy said the Center sought several clarifications: the current state of the Phase I network, the number of trains in service, maintenance responsibilities, integration with Phase II in terms of ticketing systems and infrastructure, and cost-sharing arrangements. “Approval cannot come on the basis of rhetoric,” he added.
The minister claimed that the state responded only after announcing the need for a revised DPR, which has now been approved by the government. He said that though the state did not contribute to MMTS Phase II, the Center has completed the project at a cost of over ₹ 1,000 crore and work on the Yadadri link will begin soon.
He also said the Center plans to ground three high-speed rail corridors connecting Hyderabad to Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai by 2028, along with major upgrades to railway stations and infrastructure in the region. Referring to Hyderabad’s rapid growth, he said that civic infrastructure — particularly drinking water supply, sanitation, slum development and the state of government schools — had not kept pace with the city’s expansion.
Neither the previous BRS government nor the present Congress government had done much on civic issues, he said. On the Musi river rejuvenation project, he said the BJP was not against the initiative but had concerns about the rehabilitation of long-settled households and whether beautification could be achieved using the existing retaining walls.
In a separate development, Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar demanded immediate release of ₹27,000 crore under the ‘Rythu Bharosa’ scheme to 67 lakh farmers, warning that the BJP would launch an agitation if the promised support was not provided.
Earlier, BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao had alleged that the Congress and the Majlis Party were functioning through a “secret understanding”, especially in connection with the upcoming GHMC elections. He also referred to the acquittal of former BRS MLC K. Kavith in the Delhi liquor case as a “technical error” between the CBI and its legal team.
Published – 27 Feb 2026 21:27 IST
