Former Union Minister S. Jaipal Reddy on Thursday claimed that the previous UPA regime had sanctioned projects worth over Rs. 4,000 crore for Greater Hyderabad.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan here, Jaipal Reddy furnished the complete list of projects which were sanctioned for Hyderabad during his tenure as Union Urban Development Minister. He said that the Hyderabad Metro Rail Project was sanctioned in March 2011 at a cost of Rs. 14,132 crore through an extraordinary procedure. He said he had also facilitated sanction of 1,422 luxury buses at a cost of Rs. 473.30 crore for Hyderabad City exclusively through APSTRC in 2009. Financial assistance was provide for Krishna Drinking Water Supply Project - Phase II, the project cost of which was Rs. 606.50 crore through an extraordinary procedure.
Jaipal Reddy said that as the then Information and Broadcasting Minister, he started International Children's Film Festival with Hyderabad city as permanent venue. He said Hyderabad FM radio station was upgraded to the highest level during his tenure.
As the Union Cultural Minister, Jaipal Reddy said he had sanctioned Hyderabad City Science Centre at a cost of Rs. 120/- crore. A beautiful plot of land measuring 50 acres was allotted by the YSR Government in Budvel village, abetting the ORR (Near Himayathsagar). A Multi-State Cultural Complex was also set up at Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad City.
Jaipal Reddy said he got various project worth Rs. 2463 crore under the scheme of UIG (Urban Infrastructure and Governance) and Rs. 1,631 crores under BSUP (Basic Services for Urban Poor) thus totalling Rs. 4,094 crore. Under the BSUP scheme,76,371 houses were also sanctioned in GHMC limits, he said.