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IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu assured Metro rail commuters that the State government is committed to providing faster, safer and more efficient transport facilities to the public. The Minister conveyed this during what his office described as a surprise Metro ride to “personally experience city commuters’ perspective.” A well-known face in the Cabinet of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and holding multiple portfolios, Saturday’s Metro commute of Mr. Sridhar Babu came close on the heels of the State government agreeing in principle to take over Phase-I of the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) from Larsen & Toubro, in a ₹15,000 crore deal. His office said, “Like any other passenger, he purchased a ticket and travelled on the Metro from Nagole to Raidurg,” in western Hyderabad, which serves as a growing hub for IT and new age technology firms. During the journey, he interacted with commuters on Metro services, amenities, station safety, traffic challenges and overall public transport experiences. Metro Phase 2 expansion The Minister explained the government’s initiatives for strengthening urban public transport, including Metro Phase-2 expansion, the Regional Ring Road (RRR) project proposed by the government and upcoming future mobility plans. He also sought suggestions and feedback from the passengers. Emphasising that it’s a people’s government that accepts appreciation while remaining open to criticism, Mr. Sridhar Babu urged people to support the government’s efforts and actively participate in building a progressive Telangana for future generations, the Minister’s office said. On September 25, the process of exit of L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad from the 15-year much-acclaimed public-private partnership was finalised following a meeting between the leadership of L&T and the Chief Minister. The company was the developer and operator of Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase 1, spanning nearly 70 km across three corridors. L&T announced the in-principle understanding under which the State government will take over the Hyderabad Metro SPV by refinancing the current debt and acquiring equity of L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) at “agreed values. We expect the divestment to get completed by the end of the current fiscal FY26,” it said in a filing to the stock exchanges on Friday.
