Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao on Monday said that the state Cabinet has approved Rs 60,000 crore plan for Metro rail expansion.

Addressing the media, Minister KTR on Monday said, “Today, the Telangana State Cabinet meeting was held for over six hours under the leadership of Chief Minister KCR. The Cabinet has discussed and taken some crucial decisions.” KTR said, “Telangana Cabinet has approved Rs 60,000 crore plan for Metro rail expansion. This project is expected to be completed in 3-4 years. We are hoping that the central government will support us in this project as it did in other states. We will be happy if they help us. However, even if they don’t, the state government has decided to take up the project on its own. Even if this (central) government doesn’t help, a coalition government will be formed after 2024 in which BRS will play a key role and we hope that it will help us.”

He said that the Cabinet discussed in detail with all the departments about the heavy incessant rains from July 18 to 28, the floods caused by the heavy rains and the losses and troubles the people faced. Huge losses were incurred in around 10 districts including Warangal, Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Hanumakonda, Nirmal, Adilabad, Khammam and Kothagudem.
He said, “The Cabinet has decided to release Rs 500 crores for roads, farming lands, infrastructure and any other needs in these flood-affected districts on a war foot basis. We will also rehabilitate the 27,000 people who were affected by the floods. The Cabinet has also decided to build a RCC wall along the Munneru River in Khammam. It also decided to give ex gratia to around 40 people who died in the floods.”

He said that the Cabinet had decided to recognise all TSRTC staff as government employees and it has formed a sub-committee including officials to make the rules and regulations for the same.

He said, “Around 43,383 TSRTC staff will be made government employees. The sub-committee will be headed by Telangana Finance Secretary Ramakrishna Rao along with R&B officials, Transport department officials, labour department officials and others. The Government will introduce a bill to make the TSRTC staff government employees in the upcoming assembly from August 3.”

He further said, “The State Cabinet has cleared a massive plan for improving transport infrastructure at a cost of Rs 60,000 crore with the clearance of new Metro Rail projects connecting different areas in Hyderabad. The Chief Minister had already laid the foundation stone for the Metro connection from Raidurg to the Shamshabad Airport. The Metro Rail expansion would take place on all the routes. On the Godavarikani route, the government has proposed to build a Double Decker Metro Rail corridor between Jubilee Bus Station and Tumkunta where one layer would be dedicated to vehicular movement and the second layer for the Metro.”

He said that on the Adilabad – Nagpur route, the Cabinet has cleared the extension of Metro from Patny station connecting the ORR at Kandlakoya. “Since this extension involved defence lands, the State government would pursue the matter with the Centre for procuring lands. The other corridor to be developed is between Isnapur and Miyapur and later from Miyapur to Lakdikapul. On the Vijayawada route, the Metro would be extended from LB Nagar to Pedda Amberpet. On the Warangal route, it would be extended from Uppal to Bibi Nagar. On the Mahabubnagar route, another Metro line would be extended from Shamshabad to Shadnagar via Kothur. In addition to this, there would be a Metro line connecting Uppal and ECIL crossroads. We will also finish the Old City Metro line parallelly. We are also planning for a Metro line along the entire stretch of ORR, spanning over 159 kms as there is no need for land acquisition along the ORR,” he further said.

He said that in addition to this, there would be another line to be extended from Shamshabad to Kandukur to provide faster connectivity to the upcoming Pharma City.
He hit out at Governor saying, “The Cabinet has also discussed the bills that were passed by the assembly earlier but the Governor had sent back. We will present the bills in the assembly again and then send it to the Governor for the second time.”
He further said, “We will recognise the orphans in Telangana as Children of the state and come up with an Urban Orphan policy to protect them.”

He further said that the Cabinet had decided to recommend the names of former MLA Kurra Satyanarayana, from the Yerukula community (Scheduled Tribe) and Dasoju Sravan under the Governor’s quota for MLC.

He said, “In Mahabubabad district, the Cabinet has approved for an Horticulture University. It also approved for TIMS super speciality hospitals in Gaddiannaram, Sanathnagar, Gachibowli and Alwal. It also approved 2000 more beds in NIMS with Rs.1800 crores.”
He added, “The Cabinet has approved to give enough land to the Airport Authority of India for an airport in Warangal. The Cabinet has also decided to request the central government and its relevant departments to make the Hakimpet Airport a hybrid airport and facilitate passenger aircrafts.”

“The Cabinet has approved for another 8 more medical colleges. Now, Telangana will become the first state in India to have a medical college in each district,” he concluded.