Committee to speed up Metro acquisition process
HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has intensified efforts to complete the acquisition process for the Hyderabad Metro Phase-I project. A high-level committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, has been formed to coordinate among departments and ensure completion within the shortest possible time.
Secretaries of finance, law, and municipal administration departments are part of the committee, which will conduct a detailed review of all issues arising from the agreement signed with Larsen & Toubro (L&T). The committee will submit its report to the government, based on which the takeover process will proceed swiftly, officials said.
Committee to report to Cabinet subcommittee
The committee will focus on legal, financial, and technical aspects, including procedures for taking over assets and liabilities from L&T, and for making payments of about ₹2,000 crore to the company. Since L&T has opted out of the project, the government will also take responsibility for the company’s bank loans amounting to ₹13,000 crore.
Ownership of malls and lands leased out by L&T to other entities will be transferred to the government. Officials said discussions with L&T are ongoing to ensure clarity by the end of this financial year. The Chief Secretary-led committee will submit its report to the Cabinet subcommittee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka.
Centre’s clearance key to Phase-II progress
The second phase of the Metro, which the government has termed prestigious, has been stalled due to lack of central clearance. Officials said coordination issues between the public-private partnership (PPP) model of Phase-I and the government-funded Phase-II were raised by the Centre. The Chief Secretary’s committee will address these concerns.
“With L&T exiting, both projects will now come under full government ownership, which will help resolve pending issues,” a Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) official said. Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for eight new routes have been pending with the Centre for nearly a year.
Government eyes 2028 deadline
The Congress government aims to complete all proposed corridors of Phase-II by 2028, ahead of the next Assembly elections. With the Centre’s support uncertain, officials hope to at least complete one corridor by then. The government is focusing on the 7.5-km Old City line between MGBS and Chandrayangutta, expecting visible progress before elections.
