Dattatreya's assurance on MMTS Phase II.

Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya has categorically assured that he would strive to get the Rs. 817-crore, Phase II of the Multi-Modal Transit System (MMTS) taken up and completed at the earliest. It will add about 78 km of track to the network, taking it to a total of slightly over 120 km.

At a 'Meet-The-Press' programme organised by the Indian Journalists' Union and Telangana Union of Working Journalists recently, he recalled how the Phase I was completed in record time, much before the deadline by using available resources and with a pro-active Government. He said he was very much associated with the project that put Hyderabad on the map of cities where such a system was in existence.

Similarly, Mr. Dattatreya stated that he would use his good offices and his official presence in the national capital to see that things were expedited as far as MMTS Phase II was concerned. 'Whether it is MMTS or Metro Rail, it is my dream project and I will surely do my best to see that they are expedited,' Mr Dattatreya said.

Except for the Falaknuma-Umdanagar-Shamshabad (airport connectivity) stretch, for which tenders are yet to be called, works in other corridors are expected to be taken up soon. They include doubling and electrification of Sanathnagar-Moula Ali, Moula Ali-Malkajgiri-Sitafalmandi and Bolarum-Medchal sectors, quadrupling and electrification of the Moula Ali-Ghatkesar stretch electrification and remodelling of stations on Secunderabad-Bolarum route and restoration of track and electrification on Tellapur-Patancheru stretch.

While de-congesting Secunderabad Station, MMTS Phase II will bring into the rail network areas like Ramachandrapuram, Nallagandla, Tellapur, Patancheru, Ghatkesar, Moula Ali and those between Malakpet and Umdanagar will get connected.

Currently, MMTS services transport about 1.5 lakh passengers over a distance of about 43 km between Falaknuma and Lingampally, including Nampally and Secunderabad. When Phase II is completed, the network will carry about 5 lakh passengers.



THE HINDU