KTR urges Centre to transfer defence lands for road infra projects in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development KT Rama Rao has urged the Centre to transfer the defence lands located in Hyderabad city to the State government for taking up various road infrastructure projects in the State capital.

Minister KT Rama Rao along with BRS MPs Ranjith Reddy and Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, State Planning Board Vice-chairman B Vinod Kumar, special chief secretary MA&UD Arvind Kumar called on Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at New Delhi on Friday and submitted a memorandum to him, seeking the transfer of defence lands to the State government.

The Minister explained to the Union Minister that the projects were aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving connectivity to districts such as Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Nirmal, Adilabad on NH-44 and Siddipet, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Manchirial and Asifabad-Komuram Bheem on SH-01.

He said the State government has proposed some projects, including development of Skywalk at Mehdipatnam, development of elevated corridor from Paradise junction (near Gymkhana Grounds) to ORR junction on Hyderabad-Karimnagar-Ramagundam Road (SH-0I), development of elevated corridor from Paradise junction to ORR junction near Kandlakoya on NH-44 and link  roads under HRDCL project and certain road widening works. Later, speaking to the media,  KT Rama Rao said that they also made a proposal that the State government is ready to give the same piece of land to the union government for the allocation of defence lands.

” We have been asking the Centre for the transfer of defence lands to the State government for the last nine years but in vain. If the Centre transfers the land, we will take up the construction of skyways and other road infrastructure projects in Hyderabad. The Centre should encourage the Telangana State as Hyderabad city is growing rapidly,” KTR said. He also informed that they had requested the Centre to extend financial assistance for the expansion of the Metro Rail project in Hyderabad.