Rs 69000 cr for 400km Hyderabad Metro l Rs 500 cr for roads affected by rains
NAVEENA GHANATE
Hyderabad
The Telangana Cabinet discussed around 50 issues during its six-hour meeting chaired by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Industries Minister KT Rama Rao briefed the media on Cabinet decisions.
He said that Rs 500 crore would be released for repairing roads damaged by the ruins and that 27,000 people who have been moved to safer places will be rehabilitated.
He said that the services of two linemen who waded through flood waters to restore electricity and a teacher who took care of 40 children would be recognised on August 15. KTR said that the kin of the 40 people who died due to the rains would be paid ex-gratia compensation.
In an important decision, the Cabinet decided to absorb the TSRTC with the State government to strengthen public transport and discharge social obligations. A sub-committee has been constituted to frame guidelines for this. With this, the 43,373 employees of the TSRTC will become government employees. The Bill regarding this will be introduced in the forthcoming Assembly session commencing on August 3.
The Hyderabad Metro Rail will be expanded at an estimated cost of Rs 60,000 crore in the next 3 to 4 years and a double-decker metro line would be constructed between Jubilee Bus Stand–Tumukunta and Patny to Kandlakoya.
The Metro would be expanded from Isnapur to Miyapur, Miyapur to Lakdikapul, LB Nagar to Peddamberpet, Uppal to Bibinagar, Shamshabad RGI Airport to Shadnagar via Kothur, Uppal-ECIL Cross Road and Airport–Kandakur via Thukkuguda, and the Old City along the ORR.
KTR said that he hoped that a coalition government would be formed at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls and that it would give funds for the Hyderabad Metro’s expansion.
“I extend my sincere thanks to KCR and my Cabinet colleagues for deciding to expand the Hyderabad Metro Rail to a whopping 400 km in the next 3 to 5 years with an outlay of Rs 69,000 crore,” he said.
The Cabinet decided to nominate former MLA K. Satyanaranana of the ST Erukala community and Dr Sravan Dasoju, a BC leader, as MLC candidates for the Governor’s quota. “Hope the Governor listens to a democratically elected government and approves the nomination,” KTR said.
In a first-of-its-kind policy, the Telangana Cabinet decided to recognise orphan children as children of the state and the government will bring an urban orphan policy which will ensure that they are resettled.
The Cabinet discussed the Governor sending back the three Bills connected with the MA & UD Department, Panchayati Raj and Education. These Bills will be passed again a second time and the Governor has to approve them as per constitutional norms, he said.
A horticulture college will be established in Mahbubabad. The proposal to build a TIMS hospital in Hyderabad was approved by the Cabinet. The hospital would have 50% general consultation and the balance 50% would like in NIMS.
The proposal to expand NIMS to 2,000 beds was approved and Rs 1,800 crore was approved for that. Eight medical colleges were also approved. TS will be the first state in India to have a medical college in every district, he said.
He said that like Beedi workers, Beedi Tekhedhars would also be given pensions.
Regarding Warangal airport, the Cabinet decided to give whatever land the Airports Authority of India demanded at Mamnur.
“The government wants to run it like Bidar as it is 150 km away from RGIA. We will request permission to use the IAF’s Hakimpet Airport for civil aviation like the Pune and Goa airports,” he said. The RGIA is logging 2.50 crore passengers every year and this made the government look for a second airport, he said.
The request for land by the Kapu, Balija and Ontari communities has been approved and land would be given for the South India Centre of the Kapu community in Hyderabad, KTR said.
