Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has opposed the State government’s proposal to change the route of the Metro Rail project in Old City, stating that any modification in the original design will deny the intended benefit to people.
The alternative route, as is being proposed by the State government, will pass through only one side of Old City and the facility would not be available to majority of the people there, official spokesperson of TPCC, G. Niranjan, said on Monday. The density of commuters too will be thin on the new route compared to the originally planned route.
Mr. Niranjan sought to know the problem MIM had when the Metro Rail authorities were talking about designing the original route in such a way that no religious structure would be harmed. It was also the duty of the Metro Rail officials to explain to people whether they could implement the project in the original route without disturbing any religious structures.
The original route would cover Mahatma Gandhi bus station, Darulshafa, Purani Haveli, Alija Kotla, Talab Katta, Hari Bowli, Shalibanda, Lal Darwaja crossroad, Syed Ali Chabootra, Aliyabad, Jangam Met and Falaknuma. Metro Rail facility on that route will be highly useful for people living in Dabirpura, Yakutpura, Moghulpura, Gowlipura, Lal Darwaja, Shalibanda and Shamsher Gunj, Mr. Niranjan said.
Besides, it would also be useful to those who visit Kova Market, Bone Setting Centre, Charminar and Mecca Masjid. Stating that the original route would be more useful to all sections of people of the Old City, the TPCC leader urged the State government not to cause inconvenience to people under pressure from MIM.
Mr. Niranjan requested Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to invite all-party leaders of the Old City instead of just MLAs to the meeting on the route change issue and take a final decision only after consulting all. He appealed to Mr. Rao not to make the MIM’s claims true that the steering and brakes of the State government were in its control.
