Despite the Central Government coming to its strong defence, the multi-billion dollar Hyderabad Metro Rail Project continues to face serious challenges. Though the Central Government has made it clear that there cannot be any change in the routes of the project, which were okayed in the concession agreement, the traders of Sultan Bazar on route number II of the project were up in arms and refusing to budge from their stand.
Following the talks, State Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma had with the Union Cabinet Secretary Ajit Sheth and other officials in Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi regarding the project, it has now become certain that there will no change in the State Assembly-Moazzam Jahi Market.
Earlier, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had demanded a major change in the alignment of the project on the ground that the Metro line in front of the State Assembly building and Moazzam Jahi Market will deface the heritage structures of the city. He had suggested to larson and Toubro, the engineering giant developing the project, to take the line under ground. The Chief Minister also asked the company to change the route to spare the historic Sultan Bazar Market in view of the strong opposition from the local traders.
But following the strong resistance from l&T and the Central Government throwing its weight behind the project, the State Government has relented on the Assembly-Moazzam Jahi market line.
The company has taken a stand that its work on the project had progressed significantly and it had built almost all the pillars and any change in the alignment at this stage will be a major financial setback and lead to increase of the cost.