Deccan Chronicle 04.09.2009
Reddy had grand plans for the city
Hyderabad
Sept. 3: Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy initiated massive administrative reforms and took up various prestigious projects, with a vision to develop the city on par with Shanghai and Singapore.
He gave the city a world class international airport at Shamshabad. Formation of the Greater Hyderabad on April 16, 2007, was yet another milestone achieved by Dr Reddy. The city limits were expanded from 172 sq km to 625 sq km, making it the second largest city in the country after Delhi in terms of area.
The credit of expanding the limits of the HMDA from 2,300 sq km to 6,876 sq km also goes to Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. He took up major infrastructure projects like construction of Outer Ring Road (ORR) and widening of Inner Ring Road (IRR) for better and faster connectivity.
He took up yet another major project to bring Godavari waters to the city from Pranahita near Karimnagar district. Hyderabadis owe resumption of daily water supply in the city to Dr Reddy.
Dr Reddy initiated construction of over 70,000 houses for the urban poor. Rubber dams, a component of the Musi beautification, was completed after Dr Reddy pulled up the GHMC commissioner, Mr S.P. Singh, in public, and gave him a deadline. Despite pressure on the government exchequer, he did not increase electricity tariff, property tax and water charges.
