Hyderabad, Dec 18 (IANS) The Telangana government said on Friday that it plans to expand Hyderabad metro rail project by another 83 km to provide connectivity to various destinations on the city's outskirts.
Information Technology Minister K. Tarakarama Rao said that the state government has asked Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd to prepare a plan for expansion of the project under the second phase.
The work is under progress on the first phase covering 72 km on three corridors. The second phase will make it a 155-km project.
The government's plan is to extend the metro to 200 km to meet the requirements of the fast-growing city, which has a population of 10 million, he told reporters after travelling in the metro rail from Mettuguda station to Uppal station along with some other ministers.
Tarkarama Rao, who is son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, said the metro project has been completed up to a distance of 20 km while work was continuing at a fast pace over 52 km.
The minister said the first phase would be thrown open to public next year.
Under the proposed expansion, the metro will be extended from Raidurgam to Shamshabad via Gachibowli.
KTR, as the minister is popularly known, said the government would make all efforts to provide last mile connectivity by connecting metro stations with various destinations through buses. There is also a proposal to operate electric vehicles.
Construction major Larsen & Toubro is building 72-km elevated metro project, said to be the biggest project in the world in public private partnership, at a cost of Rs.14,132 crore.
