Hyderabad: Union coal minister G. Kishan Reddy on Tuesday strongly rebutted Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s allegations that he had engineered a stall in a ₹13,500‑crore financing arrangement with the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) for Hyderabad Metro, saying the loan pact was negotiated and agreed by the Telangana government and is a matter between the State and the lender.
Speaking to newsmen in Delhi, Kishan Reddy said he had never intervened to secure or block IRFC funds and that the state government, not the Centre, finalised the agreement for ₹13,527 crore. “This is for them to decide,” he said, adding that he had discussed the matter with Union urban development minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who conveyed the Centre’s concern that metro revenues must first be used for operations and maintenance before servicing any loan.
Kishan Reddy said he had advised the Chief Minister to prioritise developing a sustainable financial plan for the project instead of pre‑paying loans from projected metro receipts, and suggested operational stability be achieved first so the metro can be self‑sustaining.
Kishan Reddy accused Revanth Reddy of making baseless, politically motivated charges. “Which minister told me to withhold funds — can Revanth Reddy point to one,” he asked, calling the Chief Minister’s allegations at a public forum unbecoming of his office. He warned against shifting blame through public accusations and urged a technical, consultative approach between State and Centre officials rather than headline‑grabbing criticism.
Defending the Centre’s record on Telangana projects, Kishan Reddy highlighted past federal support — including ₹1,250 crore for Metro Phase‑1 and other infrastructure investments — and said the Centre has cooperated irrespective of the ruling party in the State. He said stopping any project does not fit the BJP’s ethos and reiterated that if technical or financial changes are needed, they should be raised openly in meetings with the Centre.
Reiterating readiness to engage, he said he had written to the Chief Minister on January 15 urging the state government to move forward on Metro Rail Phase‑2 project and welcomed a meeting with the Chief Minister and State urban development ministers to resolve outstanding technical and financial issues.
Kishan Reddy said the Centre had suggested that Telangana first put in place a durable financial system, including clarity on expenditure for operations and maintenance, before committing to servicing large loan liabilities from metro earnings.
The minister reiterated his commitment to Telangana’s development, listing recent central initiatives and funding lines supporting highways, rail upgrades and urban projects in the State. He accused Revanth Reddy of indulging in “derivative” politics that diverts attention from governance gaps, and invited State leaders to sit down and sort out financial and technical issues through discussion rather than outcry in public platforms.
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