Centre facilitates Hyderabad Metro loan takeover from L&T; decision after review: Kishan Reddy

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy said that the Centre has facilitated a loan for the takeover of Phase I of the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) project (69.2 km) from L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH), and that a “decision would be taken after examining the proposals submitted”. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, he said that Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar had given in-principle approval for the move. He was referring to the agreement signed last month between the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC), the State government and L&T for a ₹13,527-crore loan with a tenure of 20 years at reduced interest rates here in Hyderabad. Strongly objecting to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s allegation that he was obstructing the Metro’s Phase II expansion and other projects pending with the Centre, Mr. Kishan Reddy called for the constitution of a committee of senior journalists to examine the issue. “I will abide by whatever report they submit. I am even prepared to resign if necessary,” he said. There was some delay in the Warangal airport land acquisition but efforts are on to soon get Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lay the foundation stone. The Centre has been actively pursuing the project proposals from TG interacting with the officials here and will provide total cooperation, he said. The Minister also accused the Chief Minister of making “baseless and slanderous allegations” against him to divert attention from growing public dissatisfaction over the alleged failure to implement the six guarantees and other promises. Mr. Kishan Reddy asserted that he was not someone who could be intimidated by “threats,” and alleged that corruption and irregularities were increasing in Telangana. He also claimed that while ministers were “looting at will”, key sectors such as real estate and industry were suffering. He was ready for an open debate at the Press Club or the Martyrs’ Memorial on the promises made by the ruling p