The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : State urged to slam brakes on metro rail

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Wednesday, Jun 18, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

State urged to slam brakes on metro rail

Special Correspondent

Political parties for public debate on project

Short gestation transport favoured
Rs.10,000-cr. project is an expensive venture

HYDERABAD: All major political parties have urged the government not to be in hurry to take up the elevated metro rail project “without a meaningful public debate on the efficacy and viability of the system.”

Giving their views about the project in a meeting organised by Citizens for a Better Public Transport in Hyderabad on Tuesday, political parties’ representatives said it would be better to put the project on hold for six months and clear all misgivings and concerns about it.

A mass rapid transit system was required to ease traffic congestion and pollution, but it would make sense to explore alternatives for a less capital intensive and shorter gestation transport options like MMTS Phase II and introducing more RTC buses, they said.

The Rs.10, 000-crore metro rail project, the most expensive infrastructure venture ever undertaken, would not only change the skyline but also lead to demolition of hundreds of properties. The common demand was to make public documents such as detailed project report, environment impact assessment report, social impact assessment report, concessional agreement, etc., to alleviate concerns of people, NGOs, and others, it was said.

Escalated costs

State BJP president Bandaru Dattatreya said that since the project cost had escalated to Rs. 10,000 crore, it would be sensible to go for integrated system of MMTS and opting for metro rail system only to the extent necessary. Lok Satta’s K. Srinivasa Rao said spending so much money would only result in misuse and pilferage of public money. CPI(M) State secretary Venkateswara Rao alleged “affordable public transport system was being deliberately destroyed” by not adding RTC buses but pushing for metro rail.

C. Ramadhraiah of the Forumcharged the government with unilaterally promoting metro rail.

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