Vivekanand Says Metro Takeover Costs Rs 20 Million a Day

15 Jul 2026 CW Team

K P Vivekanand Goud, BRS Legislature Party whip and Quthbullapur MLA, said the Chief Minister's rush to take over the Hyderabad Metro Rail from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) was costing the state government Rs 20 million (mn) a day and demanded an explanation for what steps had been taken after recent talks at the Centre. He made the remarks at a press meeting in Hyderabad and framed the issue as having serious fiscal and operational consequences.

He criticised a series of policy moves including the setting up of HYDRAA, the Metro Rail exercise, the HILT policy and efforts to clean the Musi river, and said each decision was resulting in one form of destruction or another. He said a large question mark now hung over the future of Metro Rail and that the Chief Minister was merely writing letters to the Centre rather than taking decisive action. He urged authorities to publish timelines and cost estimates to enable public scrutiny.

He said that, had the Chief Minister been serious about the system, the proposed Rayadurgam to RGI Airport line would not have been cancelled, and he warned that decisions to date were jeopardising the operations of existing services. The lawmaker said the takeover drive and the cancellation of planned expansion had created uncertainty among stakeholders and could affect passenger services and project timelines.

He pressed for a clear statement on measures being pursued after the discussions at the national capital and called for transparency on the financial impact of the takeover, including daily expenditure figures. The matter, he added, demanded a prompt official response to reassure commuters and investors about the viability of Metro Rail in the city. He also sought assurance that commuter safety and service frequency would not be compromised during the transition.

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