Hyderabad, Jun 15 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday accused Union Minister G Kishan Reddy of creating hurdles for the disbursement of Rs 13,600 crore refinancing loan by the Central PSU IRFC for the Hyderabad Metro Rail project.
He also alleged that the union minister was acting under the influence of BRS working president K T Rama Rao.
The BJP and BRS are making a conspiracy together to derail the project as it would be politically disadvantegeous for the two parties if the state government completed the project, he alleged.
He alleged that Kishan Reddy appeared to be paying ‘Guru Dakshina’ to BRS for the help extended by the regional party to BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.
CM Reddy said the state government has paid Rs 1,400 crore margin money and a processing fee of Rs 84 crore to the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) for the loan disbursement.
The state government secured the loan for an interest of four per cent, whereas former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and even the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi got loans for interest in the range of 8 -11 per cent, he claimed.
He also said IRFC is like an intermediary in the loan as the original loan is provided by Japan.
“Kishan Reddy met Union Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on May 20 and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on May 21 and told them that if you facilitate work so easily for Revanth Reddy it would be difficult for the BJP to continue in Telangana. Because of this complication, the Centre is not disbursing loan. That’s why I am after Kishan Reddy all these days,” he told reporters here.
Monday (June 15) is the last day for loan disbursement and whether Kishan Reddy would get the Rs 13,600 crore loan disbursed or not, CM Reddy asked.
The IRFC had put a condition that the RBI should also stand as guarantor for sanctioning the loan of Rs 13,600 crore, which was also complied, he said.
The CM further said that he had submitted a letter to Khattar during his recent visit to Delhi offering that the state government would take up the proposed second phase of the metro rail project if the Centre is hesitatant to take 50 per cent share.
He had to submit the letter after Central officials expressed reservations over running the first phase and developing the second phase. He sought a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Centre for this proposal, the CM said.
His offer put the union government in a spot as there would be no debate about Centre, PM Modi and also Kishan Reddy if the state government took up the metro construction entirely on its own.
He said the second phase of the metro project can be taken up only if the state government completely takes over the first phase.
He asked whether Kishan Reddy would take responsibility for the disbursement of the loan by IRFC and whether the Centre would join the proposed second phase of metro rail project as a 50 per cent equity partner or at least give an NOC for the state government to take up the second phase on its own.
He said he is questioning Kishan Reddy as the former is the sole Union Cabinet Minister from Telangana.
“I met Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. I spoke with him thrice. I don’t want to disclose (what he said). But, my problem is this (disbursement of loan). Kishan Reddy has to address this problem,” he said, when asked whether he met Vaishnaw.
The CM, who alleged that the Centre’s discrimination towards the state is continuing, also claimed that the proposal of establishing an airport at Warangal is not moving at quick pace after Kishan Reddy met Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu.
While metro projects in Ahmedabad and Visakhapatnam (much smaller compared to Hyderabad) have been sanctioned by the Centre, the progress of Hyderabad metro is halted, he said.
The CM said he has documents on the matter and is ready to give them to Kishan Reddy.
Revanth Reddy further said the BJP has no moral right to seek his resignation as PM Modi has not fulfilled his promises of two crore jobs per year, depositing Rs 15 lakh in accounts of the poor and doubling farmers income.
While the BJP is dependent on allies for government’s stability, the Congress government led by him in Telangana is not dependent on others for survival, he said.
Kishan Reddy had earlier denied the CM’s allegations against him of creating hurdles for state’s development projects.
The Telangana government on May 25 secured a Rs 13,600 crore refinancing agreement from IRFC for the Hyderabad Metro Rail Project.
L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd and HMRL signed the agreement to this effect in Delhi.
The state government has recently acquired 100 per cent shares of L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Ltd through the HMRL. PTI SJR SJR KH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.