The Chief Minister's Office of Telangana announced on Tuesday, 16 June 2026 that Chief Minister Revanth Anumula has written an open letter to Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, urging him to intervene with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to secure the immediate release of Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) funds sanctioned for the Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase-I takeover and to expedite approvals for Phase-II expansion.

Context

In his seven-page letter, CM Revanth Anumula stated that the Telangana government has fulfilled all preconditions required for the Metro Phase-I takeover and the Phase-II expansion. He noted that the first tranche of the IRFC loan was due for disbursement on 15 June 2026, as agreed by the corporation. Despite completing all contractual obligations, the funds have not yet been released, the letter says.

The CM also disclosed that the state has already paid an upfront fee of Rs. 84.32 crore to IRFC as demanded, underscoring that Telangana has met every financial precondition. 'Even after completing all processes as per the agreement, funds from IRFC have not been released so far,' the letter states, as described by the CMO post.

Policy Backdrop

Metro rail financing in India operates under a tripartite framework involving the state government, the central government, and IRFC, which provides long-term loans. Central guidelines have historically required states to complete land acquisition and financial closure preconditions before any disbursement tranche is released — a process Telangana says it has now concluded.

Hyderabad Metro Phase-I corridors became operational between 2017 and 2020 under a public-private partnership model supported by viability gap funding and central loans. The proposed Phase-II expansion, as detailed in the CM's letter, covers approximately 122.9 kilometres across seven corridors in the city at an estimated cost of Rs. 38,595 crore, making it one of the largest urban transit investments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana region's history.

India's broader urban mobility push — anchored in metro rail policy and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) — has seen multiple states advance Phase-II metro proposals that require coordinated central approvals from the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs alongside IRFC financing.

Stakeholders and Impact

The letter is addressed to G. Kishan Reddy, who represents Hyderabad in Parliament and serves as a key interlocutor between the Telangana state government and the Centre on infrastructure matters. CM Revanth Anumula requested Kishan Reddy to arrange a meeting with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the earliest, offering to attend with all relevant agreements and supporting documents to resolve any outstanding queries.

'I am always available for any meeting related to the resolution of this most important matter. I request you to arrange a meeting with the Hon'ble Union Minister for Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, at the earliest,' the CM wrote, as cited in the CMO's post. He added that he would personally clarify any doubts or issues to ensure swift resolution. Millions of Hyderabad commuters stand to benefit from an expanded metro network that eases congestion on the city's arterial roads.

What's Next

The immediate trigger for resolution is whether G. Kishan Reddy facilitates a meeting between CM Revanth Anumula and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. CM Revanth has made clear he is ready to present all contractual documents at a time and place convenient to the Union Minister. Beyond the fund release, all central approvals required for the Phase-II project's seven corridors also remain pending.

The open-letter approach signals that Telangana is escalating the matter into the public domain, adding political pressure on the Centre to act. How quickly IRFC releases the first tranche — and whether Phase-II formal sanction follows — will determine the pace at which Hyderabad can begin construction on one of its most ambitious urban infrastructure projects.