Hyderabad, Dec 3
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday said the state government is trying to develop Hyderabad as a global city on par with cities like New York and Tokyo.
Stating that Hyderabad would become a world-class city if the infrastructure was further improved by spending Rs 1.50 lakh crore, he urged the Centre to provide funds. He was speaking at the launch of various development works worth Rs. 5,827 crore at a public meeting titled ‘Hyderabad Rising’ organised to mark one year of the Congress government in the state. He underlined the need to prepare plans for the future development of Hyderabad, saying the city is not just a state capital but has a reputation globally.
The Chief Minister mentioned that his government has plans to establish a Future City on 40,000 to 50,000 acres of land at Mucherla. “About 15,000 acres of land is available. There is another 15,000 acres of forest land. If the farmers cooperate in giving another 15,000 acres, we will develop a wonderful city which will compete with cities like New York, Tokyo, and Singapore,” he said.
He also stated that the government envisaged plans to build a 360 km ‘Telangana Maniharam’ or Regional Ring Road at a cost of Rs. 35,000 crores. Additionally, he mentioned plans to build cold storages in the international fruit market at Ibrahimpatnam.
The Chief Minister pointed out that Delhi is completely polluted while Mumbai is inhabitable during floods. He noted that Chennai residents are struggling due to flood fury, Bengaluru residents face regular traffic problems for hours, and Kolkata people have been experiencing numerous issues. “Every city in the country is embroiled in problems. We should learn from those cities and be careful that Hyderabad does not become like other cities,” he said while defending his plans to revive the Musi River.
He criticized both BRS and BJP for opposing the Musi Rejuvenation Project and questioned if they wanted Hyderabad to become another Delhi. He stated that HYDRAA has created fear in the hearts of those encroaching on lakes, ponds, and other water bodies. The Chief Minister also slammed Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy for opposing the Musi Rejuvenation project and alleged that he was creating hurdles out of fear that the government would receive more recognition than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He challenged Kishan Reddy to prove his sincerity for the development of Telangana and Hyderabad by bringing Rs 25,000 crore from the Centre for the Musi project. He asked Kishan Reddy how much funding he had brought to the state since becoming a Union Minister. Stating that Rs. 35,000 crores are required for the expansion of Hyderabad Metro, he wanted Kishan Reddy to announce how much he would bring from the Centre. “The Centre gave funds to Gujarat Metro and Chennai Metro. Why is the Centre not giving funds to expand Hyderabad Metro?” he questioned.
Furthermore, he urged Kishan Reddy to show Musi pollution to Prime Minister Modi and offered to felicitate both PM Modi and Kishan Reddy in front of 10 lakh people in Hyderabad if the Union Minister brings Rs. 1.5 lakh crore for the development of Hyderabad.
Accusing BRS of neglecting Hyderabad over the past 10 years, he claimed that it was the Congress party which laid the foundation for the development of the Information Technology sector in Hyderabad and brought water from Krishna and Godavari rivers to quench the thirst of people. He emphasized that the foresight of successive Congress governments helped address the drinking water problem.
Revanth Reddy stated that it was the Congress government which built Hyderabad International Airport and claimed that former union minister S. Jaipal Reddy worked hard to bring Metro Rail to Hyderabad. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other ministers also addressed the public meeting.