While the BJP erected dozens of sign boards and banners along the roads leading to the railway station, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti erected pink flags and banners as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Hyderabad on Saturday to inaugurate a slew of projects. The PM landed at the Begumpet airport and was received by Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, other BJP leaders and Telangana Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao skipped the welcoming of Modi. The PM then proceeded to Secunderabad Railway Station to flag off the Vande Bharat Secunderabad-Tirupati train. The Secunderabad Railway Station has been decked up for the occasion with floral decorations and a red carpet covering much of the platform. Modi will also inaugurate 13 new MMTS (Multi Modal Transport Service) services. While the BJP put up dozens of sign boards and banners along the roads leading to the railway station, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti also erected pink flags and banners. The PM will inaugurate projects worth over Rs 11,000 crore in Telangana, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said. After flagging off the Vande Bharat train between Secunderabad and Tirupati, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the completed Secunderabad-Mahabubnagar double railway line to the nation and lay the foundation stone for the renovation and development of the Secunderabad railway station. At Parade Grounds, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for six national highway projects worth over Rs 7,500 crore and the development of AIIMS, Bibinagar, worth over Rs 1,300 crore. The South Central Railway (SCR) in a statement said that this is the second Vande Bharat Express from Telangana within a short span of three months. India’s indigenous semi-high speed train will reduce the travel time between the two cities by almost three and half hours and will be particularly beneficial for pilgrim passengers of both the Telugu states, SCR said. The 13 new MMTS services in the suburban section of Hyderabad–Secunderabad twin city region will provide the commuters in the twin city region with a fast, convenient and comfortable travel option. The new services take these services to new sections of the twin city region and provide them with the most cost effective, safe and comfortable travel facility for the daily commuters, students, office goers, etc. The doubling and electrification of the Secunderabad–Mahabubnagar project which the PM will dedicate to the nation stretches 85.24 km and has been completed at a cost of nearly Rs 1,410 crore. The project involved nine major bridges, 152 minor bridges along with elimination of 17 level crossing gates to enhance safety of both road users and train operation. The completion of the project will decongest this saturated section enhancing the possibility of introduction of both passenger and freight trains. The project will provide seamless connectivity and assist in enhancing the average speed of trains. The project will also aid in the socio-economic development of people in the region. The PM will also lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the Secunderabad Railway Station at a cost of Rs 720 crore. The station, which is the largest in terms of passenger movement in Telangana, will undergo a massive makeover with world-class amenities and aesthetically designed iconic station building. The station is being redeveloped to act as a new City Centre for generating business opportunities and revenue generation for the people. The redeveloped station would be having Double-level Spacious Roof Plaza with all passenger amenities at one place along with spaces for retail, cafeterias, recreational facilities, segregation of arrival/departure of passengers, lifts, escalators, travelators, multilevel car parking and multimodal connectivity for providing seamless transfer of passenger from rail to other modes among others.
