In a bid to collaborate with Japan for the Hyderabad metro rail’s phase-2 works, the Telangana government and Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) officials held talks with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which channels development assistance from the Japan government to overseas entities.
“We have initiated talks with JICA, which finances different infrastructure projects, as of now. The investment process is a long one. We will prepare a detailed project report (for the collaboration with JICA for the metro rail’s phase-2 project), which has to be approved by our state cabinet and then the government of India. Only then will it be sent to JICA,” said N.V.S. Reddy, managing director, HMR, at a press conference on Monday.
Reddy added that HMR will complete the 66-kilometer (originally 72-kilometer) phase-1 of the metro rail network by the year-end. As of now, a 30-kilometer stretch connecting Hyderabad to the Hi-tech city area is operational.
Gaddam Vivekanand, advisor to the government of Telangana, who was part of the delegation that visited Japan and South Korea, said a lot of “fruitful” discussion had taken place with big companies, which are interested in coming to the state for investment. “They were impressed with our government providing 100% incentives (for investors), 100 % electricity and even water,” he added.
The talks were held last week when Telangana information technology and industries minister K.T. Rama Rao, along with other state government officials, visited Japan and South Korea and held bilateral discussions with companies to invest in the state in upcoming projects like the Pharma city and the Kakatiya Textile park in the state. Rao is presently in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum. Vivekanad said a memorandum of understanding was signed to develop long-term collaboration between South Korea and the state in the fields of animation, gaming, artificial intelligence and electronic manufacturing.
HMRL asked to prepare detailed project report for Hyderabad metro phase II
The Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited, the nodal agency implementing the 72-km-long elevated Hyderabad Rs. 14,132 crore metro project has been called upon to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for phase II of the project.
The decision comes within days of a high powered delegation headed by KT Rama Rao, State Industries and IT Minister, touring Japan and South Korea to explore various possibilities, including funding options.
SP Singh, Telangana Chief Secretary, who held a task force meeting, today requested NVS Reddy, Managing Director, HMRL to initiate preparatory activity including conducting of surveys for determining the broad contours of Metro phase-II expansion programme and preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).
Singh said this would help approach the Central Government for sanction of Metro phase-II.
Towards this, he emphasised on the need for a coordinated action plan involving Commissioner, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Metropolitan Commissioner, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, Collectors of Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Sangareddy, Medchal districts and other senior officers concerned, apart from senior management officials of concessionaire L&T and GMR, which runs the Hyderabad airport.
Singh suggested the need to improve the feeder services and last mile connectivity for the Metro trains which are being operated in the 30 km stretch of Miyapur-Ameerpet-Nagole.
During the meeting, the need to introduce electric vehicles as non-polluting Metro feeder services at an early date and also augmentation of TS road transport feeder services.
The Government has also decided to conduct a quick study to get the feedback from Metro rail commuters, do station-wise mapping with frequency details and match the frequency of RTC feeder services and Metro trains, so as to provide end to end connectivity for commuters.
HMRL has been called upon to complete phase-I of the Metro Rail project by the end of this year and also to commission the balance portions of phase-I, including the stretches between Ameerpet and LB Nagar (16 km) of corridor-I, Ameerpet and Hitec City (10 km) of corridor-III and JBS to MGBS (9 km) of corridor-II in a phased manner starting from June this year.