Hyderabad, March 20 (NationPress) The Telangana government has earmarked Rs. 1,500 crore in its budget specifically for the development of the Musi Riverfront, a flagship initiative championed by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

During the budget presentation for 2026-27 in the state Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka announced that a significant development plan is underway aimed at revitalizing the Musi River along a span of 55 km.

The initial phase of this initiative will cover the area from Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar to Gandhi Sarovar. As part of the rejuvenation efforts, 2.5 TMC of water will be redirected to the Musi via the Godavari Project, he elaborated.

At the junction of the Esa and Musi rivers, the government is advancing the notable Gandhi Sarovar project, which encompasses river cleanup, flood management, riverfront enhancement, and the establishment of recreational amenities for the community.

He assured that the government would offer rehabilitation support to residents in the Musi river buffer zone with a focus on minimizing any hardships.

The finance minister also disclosed that around Rs 43,592.88 crore has been allocated for various development projects across Hyderabad and its environs, with Rs 24,752 crore of these projects already in progress. The remainder will commence shortly.

Additionally, Rs 2,654 crore has been designated for infrastructure improvements in Hyderabad under the Hyderabad City Innovative and Transformative Infrastructure (H-CITI) scheme.

Furthermore, Rs 600 crore has been set aside for the second phase of the Hyderabad Metro Rail.

Currently, the Hyderabad Metro Rail accommodates approximately 5 lakh passengers daily. Plans are in place to extend this service to the Old City and to develop new corridors as part of Metro Phase II.

“The Telangana government's decision to assume control of the Hyderabad Metro Rail Project from L&T is a commendable and citizen-centric move in the realm of transportation in the State. In the rapidly growing city of Hyderabad, the metro's expansion to the Old City, Shamshabad Airport, and regions beyond Hitec City is a pressing necessity for Phase II and III,” he stated.

The finance minister emphasized that the government is prioritizing development in the service sector through CURE, the manufacturing sector via PURE, and agriculture and allied sectors within RARE.

Within the Hyderabad Outer Ring Road (ORR), the government is committed to fostering technology, artificial intelligence, global capability centers, research and development startups, financial services institutions, and other service sectors as a high-value service hub.

The objective is to transform the area between the ORR and the Regional Ring Road (RRR) into a manufacturing center. Initiatives will promote manufacturing industries, MSME clusters, logistics hubs, and industrial parks in this region. “This will generate substantial employment opportunities and position this area as the manufacturing powerhouse of Telangana’s economy,” he asserted.

The finance minister indicated that the regions beyond the RRR will be developed into an agriculture value-added economy, with a special focus on food processing industries, value-based agriculture, and eco-tourism.

He articulated that Telangana is embarking on another historic initiative, the establishment of the Bharat Future City across 30,000 acres. This development will include radial roads, a greenfield national highway connecting Future City directly to Machilipatnam Port in Andhra Pradesh, underground power systems, and environmentally-friendly smart grids, making it a model for sustainable development.