Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President & MP Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has accused TRS Government in the State and BJP Govt at the Centre of completely neglecting Hyderabad, especially the Old City during the last seven years.

“Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao 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 Old City of Hyderabad although he had promised to develop this region as the next Istanbul. Graduates from the Old City have no job opportunities and they often face discrimination at their places of works due to their area of residence,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said.

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 Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar Graduates constituency. The TPCC Chief, along with Congress candidate Chinna Reddy and other leaders, first performed Puja at Maha Kali Temple in Lal Darwaza. Later, he addressed a meeting with Congress cadre of Charminar, Chandrayangutta, Bahadurpura and Yakutpura constituencies at Famous Function Hall, Sardar Mahal near Charminar. They also had a meeting with the leaders of the Shia community.

Uttam Kumar Reddy, Chinna Reddy and other leaders visited Dargah Yousufain at Nampally. Later, they also addressed a meeting at Musheerabad constituency.

The TPCC Chief alleged that the KCR Govt behaved as if the Old City of Hyderabad did not exist in Telangana State. He said not a single new project was launched in the Old City since 2014. Further, he said the projects like Charminar Pedestrianisation and Musi River Rejuvenation remained incomplete due to shortage of funds and official lethargy. He strongly condemned TRS Govt for bringing the Metro Rail to the Old City. He said the Hyderabad Metro Rail, the biggest metro rail in the country, was started by the previous Congress Government and it had a clear plan to connect the Old City with Metro Rail services. However, he alleged that TRS and MIM parties have altered the routes and did not allow the Metro Rail in the Old City. Consequently, he said that the people of Old City 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 Govt was simply not interested in the affairs of the Old City. Similarly, the MIM, which represents the Old City in the Parliament, Assembly 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.

The TPCC Chief reminded that TRS Govt had promised to develop Hyderabad like Dallas and the Old City like Istanbul. But nothing was done to fulfill those promises, he said. Similarly, he said that the BJP Govt at the Centre did not release a single rupees, under any scheme, for the development of Hyderabad. “BJP wants to change the name of Hyderabad. But it is not interested in its development,” 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 secular votes. MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi is calling that as the party’s expansion. If that is true, then why MIM is not contesting the present MLC elections? Why is Owaisi silent on whom his party is supporting in MLC elections?” he asked.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the graduates of Old City must vote for the Congress candidate Chinna Reddy in the Old City to signal the beginning of a change and end of exploitation by the TRS, MIM and BJP. (eom)