In what appears to be a desperate attempt by Larsen & Toubro to salvage the Hyderabad Metro Rail Project, the Telangana government has claimed that the construction major has agreed to change the alignment of the project as suggested by chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
After a meeting with KCR at Secretariat on Saturday , L&T chairman A M Naik not only agreed to change the alignment of the project as per the CM's suggestions, but also tendered an 'unqualified apology' for the confusion created and anguish caused to KCR following the leak of its letter written in September this year in which it threatened to withdraw from the metro rail project.
A change in alignment would not only delay the project but also shoot up its cost. Of the three corridors the project has been planned, the TRS government earlier wanted the rail track near the state assembly to go underground as well as realigned so that heritage structures in the vicinity are not disturbed, and the alignment in another corridor changed near the Sultan Bazar area so that the traders are not dislocated.
On its part, L&T said the issue of alignment was discussed at the meeting between the Telangana CM and the L&T chief, but would not confirm whether it has agreed to change the alignment of the project. According to the CMO release, L&T agreed to change the alignment after the chief minister made it clear that there would be no compromise on the issue. KCR told Naik that there was a lot of `emotional involvement' with the Martyrs' Memorial in front of the state legislative assembly and since the current alignment of the project would result in its removal, the route should be changed and diverted from behind the assembly building.
Similarly , the company should realign the line at Sultan Bazar to preserve the historical buildings and market and shift it to pass from behind Women's College at Koti and with respect to the second phase of the project that passes through the Old City , the company should take into consideration the suggestions of elected representatives from that part of Hyderabad. The MLAs as well as corporators representing the Old City areas have been demanding a change in the alignment to preserve several places of worship including mosques and temples, the chief minister told Naik. According to the release, Naik's apology came after KCR explained that he believed that the letters were used by the `Andhra media' to create doubts over the completion of the metro rail project at a time when the works were progressing smoothly.
The meeting was also attended by the company representatives Gadgil, chief financial officer Shankar Raman, GHMC commissioner Somesh Kumar, HMDA chairman Pradip Chandra, district collector MK Meena and principal secretary to the chief minister Narsing Rao.
After a meeting with KCR at Secretariat on Saturday , L&T chairman A M Naik not only agreed to change the alignment of the project as per the CM's suggestions, but also tendered an 'unqualified apology' for the confusion created and anguish caused to KCR following the leak of its letter written in September this year in which it threatened to withdraw from the metro rail project.
A change in alignment would not only delay the project but also shoot up its cost. Of the three corridors the project has been planned, the TRS government earlier wanted the rail track near the state assembly to go underground as well as realigned so that heritage structures in the vicinity are not disturbed, and the alignment in another corridor changed near the Sultan Bazar area so that the traders are not dislocated.
On its part, L&T said the issue of alignment was discussed at the meeting between the Telangana CM and the L&T chief, but would not confirm whether it has agreed to change the alignment of the project. According to the CMO release, L&T agreed to change the alignment after the chief minister made it clear that there would be no compromise on the issue. KCR told Naik that there was a lot of `emotional involvement' with the Martyrs' Memorial in front of the state legislative assembly and since the current alignment of the project would result in its removal, the route should be changed and diverted from behind the assembly building.
Similarly , the company should realign the line at Sultan Bazar to preserve the historical buildings and market and shift it to pass from behind Women's College at Koti and with respect to the second phase of the project that passes through the Old City , the company should take into consideration the suggestions of elected representatives from that part of Hyderabad. The MLAs as well as corporators representing the Old City areas have been demanding a change in the alignment to preserve several places of worship including mosques and temples, the chief minister told Naik. According to the release, Naik's apology came after KCR explained that he believed that the letters were used by the `Andhra media' to create doubts over the completion of the metro rail project at a time when the works were progressing smoothly.
The meeting was also attended by the company representatives Gadgil, chief financial officer Shankar Raman, GHMC commissioner Somesh Kumar, HMDA chairman Pradip Chandra, district collector MK Meena and principal secretary to the chief minister Narsing Rao.
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