No discrimination in development of old city: KTR

Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao on Monday categorically said the State government will not show any discrimination with respect to development of old city. “The State government is also committed to introduce Metro Rail in the old city,” the Minister said.

Replying to a discussion on development of old city in the State Assembly, he said: “Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has time and again said there should not be any discrimination in taking up welfare and development activities in Assembly constituencies irrespective of party affiliation and BJP legislator T Raja Singh should know this.”

During the Assembly election campaign, the Chief Minister promised that he would make Mulugu the district headquarters. “People, however, elected a Congress candidate, but the Chief Minister kept his word,” he said.

“We are taking everyone into confidence in implementing various development works in the State,” Rama Rao said. Referring to Raja Singh’s statement that he would quit if anyone could prove there was some development in his constituency (Goshamahal), Rama Rao said, 

“We don’t believe in ‘badle ki rajneethi, we believe in badlaav ki rajneethi.”

Recalling poet Maqdoom Mohiuddin’s writings, Rama Rao said: “Hayaat leke chalo. Hayanaat leke chalo. Chaleto sare zamaneko saath leke chalo.” “We strongly believe in it,” he said. Appealing to Raja Singh to meet officials concerned to discuss the development activities in his constituency, he promised that there would be no problem from the State government to address them.

Appreciating MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s statement that a



discussion on old city was taken up for the first time in the history of Assembly, Rama Rao said this reflected the State government’s commitment.

Taking exception to CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s remarks that government was not releasing funds and only making allocations, the Minister clarified that the TRS government had spent Rs 14,877.26 crore for development of old city in the last seven years as against Rs 3,934 crore spent by the Congress government from 2004 to 2014. Of the Rs 14,877.26 crore, Rs 13,693 crore was spent by Municipal Administration Department, and Rs 14,877.26 crore was released for various development activities, he said, adding that the real Hyderabad was old city.

Hyderabad had geographically expanded to 675 sqkm gradually while old city was confined to 102 sqkm, he said.

Rama Rao listed out various development works including construction of flyovers and widening of roads and nalas taken up in old city. Referring to Charminar Pedestrianisation Project, he said the government would allocate more funds and if necessary Rs 100 crore would be sanctioned for beautification of Charminar along with abutting Laad Bazaar and Sardar Mahal.

The State government was committed to introducing metro rail in old city, said the Minister. “Please have faith in us,” he said, during discussion on development activities in old city in the State Assembly. 

“The work was all set to commence when Covid-19 set in, affecting the metro operations,” he said, adding that the Chief Minister recently conducted a meeting on metro rail and constituted a committee headed by him to study and suggest measures to get metro rail back on track.