Cabinet gives its nod for completing takeover of metro rail phase one before March 31

The State government has decided to completely take over the operation and maintenance of the Hyderabad Metro Rail first phase presently spanning 69 km.

The government has set March 31 as the deadline for completing the process in this direction. The State Cabinet which met here on Monday deliberated on the issue during its marathon session and decided to discuss the issue in the upcoming budget session of the Legislative Assembly starting March 16. “The Opposition parties can give their suggestions on the takeover as also the steps that should be taken to go ahead with the second and third phases of the metro rail,” Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said.

The State had decided to take up the second and third phases in collaboration with the Central Government and the latter had appointed UP Metro Rail Corporation managing director as a member of the high level committee constituted to recommend the way forward in completion of the takeover.

Health coverage for govt employees

The Cabinet has approved, what it called, a unique health and insurance coverage scheme for its more than 7.56 lakh staff, including the contract and outsourcing employees. Employees would be provided free treatment and other services at the 652 empanelled private hospitals in different parts of the State. It was decided to provide ₹1.25 crore as compensation to employees who meet with accidental deaths while a compensation of ₹10 lakh would be given to staff in harness who meet untimely death before retirement.

Towards this end, it was decided to deduct 1.5% of the basic salary from employees and the government would contribute an equal amount as its share. “The deduction of 1.5% of basic comes to ₹528 crore and the government’s equal share will take the corpus to ₹1,056 crore,” the Minister said. The amount would be deposited in a trust to be constituted soon so that employees are provided cashless treatment.

Directorate of Secondary Health

The Cabinet has also decided to constitute a new directorate of secondary health that would be entrusted with the responsibility of recommending measures for improving facilities as well as installing latest equipment in State-run hospitals from the village level to district level. This was in addition to the constitution of a high power committee headed by Health Minister C. Damodar Narasimha and comprising experts like Nori Dattatreyudu and Srinath Reddy to suggest concrete measures for providing effective treatment, including for chronic diseases to the common man.

The Cabinet has also approved renovation of pipelines and treatment plants supplying water from Manjira and Osmansagar as they are in a dilapidated condition. With 42 acre of defence land required for expansion of the Hyderabad Karimnagar highway, it was decided to hand over 153 acre of land to the Defence Ministry in lieu of the 43 acres. The Cabinet had approved setting up of a fruit market with international standards at Koheda on the city outskirts and has approved alienation of over 200 acres towards this end. The land in the possession of the government would be transferred to the TGIIC for taking the plan forward.