RailEnquiry

HYDERABAD: While Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) claimed on Friday that the project was well on course, representatives of Larsen & Toubro, the project contractor, were conspicuous by their absence when the site inspection was conducted.Sources in L&T said the company was insisting on addressing critical issues like getting the HC stay vacated on the works in the stretch between Ameerpet and Jubilee Hills, which is a part of Corridor-III between Nagole and Shilparamam, before claiming that all was well as far as the progress of the project was concerned. HMRL took the media on a tour to Miyapur where it acquired 104 acres of land for the project, recently, after the high court gave its nod to fresh notification for the land acquisition. Legislators Jayaprakash Narayan and Bhikshapathi Yadav, representing Kukatpally and Serilingampally, through which the metro rail passes, accompanied the team.A highly-placed source in the L&T said the company was not interested in being present at the event as it would convey a wrong message that the project work had begun when, actually, it was not the case. "Preparatory works are not the actual works and people must not be confused about it. Our participation would have created that confusion and, therefore, we stayed away," said the source.The sources in the L&T said the company was particularly concerned about the court stay on the works on the stretch between Ameerpet and Jubilee Hills as the court had made some serious observations about the modalities of dealing with the project when it gave the stay order last month. The court has said: "There is a serious lacuna in the very launching of the project, under the AP Tramways Act, although it is almost a full-fledged railway."

While HMRL is taking time to file an appeal in the court asking for vacation of the stay in the backdrop of the court's scathing remarks, L&T is understood to have expressed its concerned over the delay. "HMRL's priority should have been to take efforts to vacate the stay instead of conducting the site visits that would not take us anywhere at this stage," said the sources in L&T.

Replying to media query relating to the issue at the site visit, NVS Reddy, managing director of HMRL, said the efforts were on to tackle all the legal issues pending. "I would not like to talk about the stay order at this juncture as it would be sub judice. But, I am sure that we can convince the court that we are on right track and there is no doubt in our mind that the project will face any hurdles on its way."

Sources in the HMRL said they were studying the court's order and would take some more time before filing the appeal as it had to be done critically well considering the court's remarks.

Apart from the stay order there are many issues to be resolved before handing over the entire Right of Way (ROW) to the L&T. While HMRL is yet to acquire 15.5 acres of land, earmarked for the project in Osmanaia University, the project evoked violent protests in Sultan Bazar area that comes in the. Besides, HMRL Road widening is yet to be done at various parts along the stretch of the planned alignment of the project.