Hyderabad Old City metro expansion received a fresh public commitment from Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who said the metro rail would be brought to the historic part of the city while linking its development with housing and the Musi River. He made the remarks at National Education Day celebrations at Banjara Bhavan in Banjara Hills on Wednesday.
Reddy said Hyderabad should be viewed as an original city rather than only as the Old City, and assured the gathering that metro connectivity would be extended to the area. His statement did not include details of the proposed alignment, station locations, project cost, construction schedule or the agency responsible for implementing the extension.
The remarks place the long-discussed question of metro connectivity in the Old City within the Telangana government’s broader development narrative for Hyderabad. The Chief Minister also said the Musi River was being treated as part of the city’s development, without providing details in the statement about how the river-related work would be coordinated with the proposed metro expansion.
Hyderabad’s existing metro network has not yet been extended into the Old City, leaving the area outside the reach of the city’s principal rapid-transit system. A future extension would have implications for residents, workers, businesses and visitors in one of Hyderabad’s most densely built and historically significant urban areas. However, the Chief Minister’s announcement did not establish when construction would begin or when services could start.
Reddy made the metro commitment while addressing a programme commemorating the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. The event focused on equal opportunities, education and skills, with the Chief Minister saying that national development would require the development of minorities and Dalits. He said the state government was working to provide greater opportunities to young people from minority communities through education and skills training.
The Chief Minister said the government was developing Industrial Training Institutes as advanced technology centres. He also referred to the establishment of a skill university and said talented young people from minority communities should receive more opportunities in education and skill-related fields.
Housing was another part of the government’s urban development message. Reddy said the state was providing houses to minority beneficiaries under the Indiramma housing scheme. The statement did not specify the number of homes being provided in Hyderabad, the locations of the projects or how the housing programme would connect with the proposed metro expansion.
The public commitment now leaves the next steps with the state government and the agencies responsible for planning Hyderabad’s transport infrastructure. Further information will be required on the Old City route, land and construction requirements, funding, approvals, station planning and the implementation timeline before the proposal can be assessed as a defined metro project.
