Centre, TS govt never cared for Hyd: Uttam

TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday accused the TRS government in the state and BJP government at the Centre of neglecting Hyderabad, especially the Old City.

“Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has never visited the Old City in the last seven years. He did not hold a single review meeting since 2014 to understand or resolve the problems being faced by the residents of the Old City though he had promised to develop it as another Istanbul,” the TPCC president said during his campaign for Congress MLC candidate G. Chinna Reddy.

He was addressing a series of meetings in the Old City on Tuesday as part of campaign for the MLC candidate G. Chinna

Reddy of HyderabadRanga Reddy-Mahabubnagar Graduates constituency. The TPCC chief and Chinna Reddy performed puja at the Mahankali temple in Lal Darwaza and later visited Dargah Yousufain at Nampally.

Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the Chandrashekar Rao government had behaved as if the Old City did not exist. Not a single new project had been launched there since 2014. Projects like Charminar Pedestrianisation and Musi river rejuvenation had remained incomplete.

He condemned the TRS government for not bringing Metro Rail to the Old City. Hyderabad Metro Rail had been started by the previous Congress government, he pointed out, to connect the Old City. He alleged that TRS and MIM had altered the routes and did not allow Metro Rail to enter Old City. Consequently, he said, Old City residents were forced to spend huge time and money on transportation.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Old City has a huge potential for tourism. But no efforts were made to improve roads and other facilities. He said TRS governemnt was not interested in the affairs of the Old City. Similarly, the MIM and GHMC showed little interest in the development of Old City. "Both TRS and MIM apparently want Old City to remain backward and appear like a slum area," he said.

“MIM is contesting elections across the country. It is fielding its candidates on every seat where BJP could win due to division of votes. Why is MIM not contesting the MLC elections,” he asked.