Hyderabad: On Friday, BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao criticized Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for allegedly forcing L&T out of the Hyderabad Metro project. He attributed this to the Chief Minister’s personal vendetta and dictatorial behavior, urging an investigation and a meeting with all involved parties.
Rama Rao accused the government of making a reckless decision that has burdened the state with a Rs 15,000 crore debt. At a press conference held at Telangana Bhavan, he explained that L&T had offered to fix the Medigadda barrage at its own cost. He claimed this offer disrupted Revanth Reddy’s agenda to label Kaleshwaram as a failure, leading to government harassment of L&T.
The BRS leader recounted how his party had supported the Metro project since 2014 when it was only 20-25% complete. He mentioned that with K Chandrashekar Rao’s assurance, L&T accelerated the work, which led to the first phase being inaugurated by PM Modi in 2017. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, KCR provided a Rs 3,000 crore soft loan to aid the project, helping it expand to 69 km and achieve a daily ridership of 5 lakh, making it India’s second-largest network.
Rama Rao contrasted this with the Congress administration, accusing Revanth Reddy of derailing the Airport Metro and misusing his power to benefit his allies. He claimed that L&T was forced out due to the Chief Minister’s political revenge and desire for Metro lands. The financial mismanagement, he alleged, added Rs 15,000 crore debt to the state’s existing Rs 2.2 lakh crore liabilities without any benefits.
Rama Rao questioned the lack of transparency in the decision-making process, calling for a Central government investigation into potential corruption. He vowed that BRS would reveal to the public how a Rs 20,000 crore asset turned into a Rs 15,000 crore liability under Congress. He also called on the state’s two Union Ministers to address the issue.
He criticized Revanth Reddy for his persistent complaints about an “empty treasury,” asserting that BRS would continue advocating for pensions, welfare, and protecting against corporate exploitation. Rama Rao expressed confidence in winning the support of Hyderabad’s citizens and anticipated a victory in the Jubilee Hills by-election.
