Hyderabad: Telangana Industries and IT Minister D Sridhar Babu on Wednesday criticised the central government for excluding Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase 2 from its latest round of cabinet approvals, calling the move discriminatory.
Speaking to reporters after the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sridhar Babu said the state had expected clearance for the metro expansion project, but no such approval was granted. Instead, projects for other cities were cleared while Hyderabad was again sidelined.
The minister said Phase 2 of the metro project, split into segments A and B, was designed to improve the city’s public transport network. Segment A spans 76.4 km across five corridors, with an estimated cost of ₹24,269 crore. Segment B covers the stretch from Jubilee Bus Station to Medchal via Shamirpet.
He said the state plans to implement the project as a joint venture, with financial backing from agencies like JICA, ADB, and through public-private partnerships.
Sridhar Babu recalled that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had raised the matter directly with Union Urban Development Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during his June 19 visit to Delhi, seeking prompt approval for the metro extension. Despite that appeal, the project did not feature in the cabinet’s agenda.
He said the exclusion was a setback for Telangana, especially as Hyderabad is one of India’s fastest-growing cities and a major contributor to the national GDP. He urged the Centre to prioritise metro expansion in high-growth urban zones like Hyderabad.
