L&T's 'Goodwill Gesture' to Hyderabad Journalists

Project and Publicity. Quid pro Quo? Or What else? A big construction firm, L&T, is 'helping' in the design and supervision of constructing a swanky building as a 'goodwill gesture' for the Hyderabad Press Club in Somajiguda. You may wonder why the L&T has developed so much love for the media. It is building Hyderabad metro rail (HMR) which is mired in many controversies. It may also be noted that L&T and HMR organised a lavish party recently for the journalists in a place on the outskirts of the city (We published it on our blog.) What else could be the motive if not getting favourable publicity? Read the news item below.

Row over L&T gesture, Times of India, Hyderabad, Apr 29, 2013. 

HYDERABAD: Plans to build a swankier press club at Somajiguda had run into controversy with several members of the club objecting to the decision, which they say, has been taken by the management without taking majority of journalists into confidence. The new club's design, comprising three floors, a centralised kitchen, a convention centre, a press conference hall and two restaurants, has been planned by construction firm Larsen and Toubro(L&T). While club authorities said that the total cost would be around Rs 4-5 crore, they clarified that the construction major is helping the club in executing the project as a 'goodwill gesture'. During an emergency general body meeting held on Sunday at the club to discuss the plans, members raised questions on the involvement of L&T in the project. Last week, L&T engineers gave a power point presentation on the design of the new building to a selected few members, which did not go down well with the remaining.

Larsen & Toubro is building the metro rail project in Hyderabad at an estimated cost of Rs 14,132 crore. The project has been dogged with inordinate delay and there has been numerous complaints on allotment of prime land at dirt cheap rates. A case has been filed against the project by traders of Ameerpet, saying that the alignment of the project has been changed unilaterally, violating the detailed project report.

L&T has not been able to make inroads into the Sultan Bazaar area due to resistance from locals. "There is no doubt that the metro project has given L&T negative branding and I am sure they would do anything that could boost their image in Hyderabad," an analyst said.

For more, go to the link:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Row-over-LT-gesture/articleshow/19775384.cms

At the AAG Conference

In the lobby of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles.

Critically analysing the Hyd Metro project in an international conference

I will be presenting my paper "Elevated Metro Rail and Undoing the City - Social Activism against a PPP Project in Hyderabad" in the Annual Conference of the Association of American Geographers in Los Angeles, USA during 9-13 April. It is the largest gathering of geographers in the world. About 7000 scholars from the discipline of Geography and other related fields will participate in the conference.

I will also be a panel speaker in a special session in honour of Prof. Neil Smith, a well-known leftist geographer, who passed away recently at the City University of New York. The session title is: "Geography Towards Revolution for Neil Smith - Part V: Radical Geography Roundtable Discussion". I will also focus on the metro project, the concession agreement, real estate, lack of transparency, the High Court Order etc. in this special session also.

- C.R

Money only for Metro Rail, Not MMTS

The AP budget provides Rs. 500 crore for the ongoing metro rail for the financial year 2013-14. There has never been any shortage of allocations in the budget for this mega project. But the long neglected and awaited phase II of the MMTS (multi-modal transit system) gets nothing. It was reported in one newspaper that an amount of Rs. 17.5 cr was allocated for MMTS while one paper reported that there was no mention of this at all. Non-allocation of money for MMTS once again indicates that public transport and mobility of people in Hyderabad has never been a priority for the state government. In the last several years some paltry amounts have been allocated in the budgets but there is no evidence of spending that money.

(Photo: From a newspaper, no date available)

It may be recalled that MMTS trains are operated by the Indian Railways on the existing railway tracks. The phase I was completed in August 2003 with an investment of about Rs. 200 crore on a length of 40 km carrying about 1.5 lakh passengers everyday. These trains now connect Falaknuma-Kachiguda-Secunderabad-Begumpet-Lingampally and also Nampally-Lingampally. This is one of the cheapest modes of transportation and has become very popular with the commuters. It is a joint venture between Indian Railways and AP state govt with a share of 2/3rds by the latter.

The phase II of this project covering 70 km with a cost of about Rs.600 crore should have been completed by 2005. It would have connected Shamshabad, Gatkesar and Medchal on the outskirts with the city core. Ever since the metro rail project came to the centre stage in 2005 successive state govts have not shown any interest in allocating money to this project. 

Hyderabad city requires all modes of the transport to be improved and integrated over a period of time. But now, for the sake of the metro project, all the alternative/existing modes of transport are either neglected or downgraded. That is the tragedy of the present times. That shows the real nature of the metro rail project.

MMTS train services neglected to favour Metro?

Vijayaraghavan Krishnamurthy's posting in MMTS Travellers' Group in Facebook:

While the Hyderabad Metro work starts in full swing, the city public transport which was to be strengthened by the MMTS - esp Phase II activities, gets a meagre allocation of Rs 30 Crores. How many such budgets we see like this without much or no allocation ? While authorities keep on talking that MMTS is one modes of transport which would be complimenting Metro - Where is that shown in action ? With so many MPs from AP / Hyderabad - not a single person is willing is take this up cause ... This has been a case of abandoned baby. While they talk about Rs 20,000 crores for the Metro, case of Rs 750 crores suddenly becomes problem for MMTS. Does this not show that is being sidelined ? - Is this not a clear case for those who claim that MMTS is being improved and is going to compliment the Metro ? At this moment i get reminded about the "Competition Clause" in the agreement of HMR. 

Metro works bring city to halt

This is only the beginning as the metro works started in bits and pieces. "Call it the price you have to pay for development or just a colossal test of patience, fact is that ever since the metro work construction has begun in the city, neverending serpentine rows of vehicles, constant honking and road rage has become everyday reality of every Hyderabadi" says the news item in Times of India, Hyderabad Times, 9 Feb13. (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JSC8yMDEzLzAyLzA5I0FyMDI5MDA%3D).  

Srividya Vemuri, a corporate professional, who commutes from Uppal to Gachibowli, has also found relief in local trains. “Travelling from Secunderabad to Hitec City via road is a two-hour journey as opposed to a swift 15 minutes by MMTS. I’ve cancelled my office cab and prefer going this way. It’s cheaper too,” she says. 
(CR- The HMR is campaigning that the inconvenience is only temporary. But the so called temporary can be a very long time. The Hyderabadis' real taste of this 'development' is yet to come.
It may be noted that MMTS is a local train service. It should have been strengthened by adding more services and completing a second phase, all in less than Rs. 600 cr. But the state govt has not shown any interest in this. Only on the expensive metro mega project.) (Photos courtesy: The Times of India, 9 Feb 13.)

Drinks, Dinner and Dance

This is just to share on the tactics employed by the Hyderabad metro authorities (govt’s HMR and the private L&T) to promote an image for the metro in the city. This has nothing against the participants in the so called ‘interaction’ as we have a lot of good friends in the journalist fraternity.

On 20^th January, the metro authorities invited many journalists for an ‘interactive’ session. It was not in their office in the city but at Taramati Baradari, a place known for cultural shows and partying on the outskirts of the city. What followed was less of interaction and more of drinks and dinner (with some dance by the chiefs of the HMR and L&T metro).  We are reproducing below an item in the Times of India, Hyderabad, 22 January 2013 under the title CHATPATA (image also inserted below the text).

“The NVS-Gadgil show “
“It was supposed to be a serious interaction (or so said the invite) with NVS Reddy and V B Gadgil over the future of metro rail in Hyderabad. But to everybody’s surprise, the event organised at Taramati Baradari over the weekend turned out to be comical with the Hyderabad Metro Rail chief deciding to entertain his guests by shaking a leg to some disco numbers being played by an orchestra team that had been especially brought in for the occasion. If that wasn’t shocking enough for the invitees, Reddy was soon heard crooning some Telugu folk songs (written to promote the metro rail) in his not-so-melodious voice leaving the gathering to wonder just what the meet was all about. The pool side party got even more colourful with the L&T CEO joining in, not to speak about the progress of the transport project, but render a peppy English number for his audience. That the duos’ show didn’t go down well with many was evident from the disgusted look on the faces of guests who were seen cursing themselves for landing up for the alleged conference. Some others, however, found solace in the delicious spread served up hot and spicy! “ (Note: NVS Reddy is the MD of HMR and V.B. Gadgil CEO and MD of L&T Metro Rail.)

No wonder, one reporter was probably so much impressed with the drinks and dinner that he likened the metro pillars with “beautiful girls playing under the moonlight” in a Telugu daily. Now the L&T is making promotional films to project an image for the metro. It is inviting students, executives, senior citizens, housewives, and others to become Brand Ambassadors for Hyderabad Metro Rail. It is ‘your chance to become a celebrity’, says half-page advts in the local news papers in early January.

It may be noted that the Hyd metro construction is going on in full swing in two stretches of 8km and 12km where the roads are already very wide. The citizens will start experiencing the traffic nightmares when the construction enters beyond these stretches and when hundreds of shops will have to be demolished. That will take some more time before which the authorities are trying to create and promote graphically designed images for the metro.

Probably, more comical shows may follow!

- Dr. C. Ramachandraiah