Deccan Chronicle 17.08.2009

GHMC poll stalls twin cities plan

Hyderabad
Aug. 16: The new master plan for the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad area hangs in balance.
Though the draft plan was ready, the authorities concerned held back its notification on instructions from political bosses in the wake of the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections.

With the polls getting into legal wrangles, the officials were in a dilemma over proceeding with the draft notification.

“It is not clear when the GHMC polls will be completed. The planning process will be affected if there is further delay in having a new master plan,” a senior GHMC official pointed out.

The political bosses will be asked to allow the Corporation to go ahead with the release of notification, he added.

The ruling party was apprehensive of a backlash in the GHMC polls mainly due to proposed road widening in several areas in the master plan. Road widening would mean demolition of properties.

Sources said the officials proposed that the road from Punjagutta to Jubilee Hills via Road No. 2 Banjara Hills to be widened up to 200 feet in place of the existing 100 ft road.

There was also a proposal to convert Road No 36, Jubilee Hills and Lakdikapul-Sanathnagar road to 200 ft.
In some cases, the officials proposed 100 ft to 120 ft roads in places where the roads are 40 feet wide.
For instance, it was proposed to widen the 40-ft road between R.P. Road (Kings Way) to Secunderabad railway station via Monda market to 120 ft. There were several structures including Old Jail which has heritage status.

Similarly, the R.P. Road-Mahankali temple stretch was proposed to be extended to 100 feet and Bazarghat-Nampally to 150 feet. The Khairatabad-Begumpet road along the railway track was proposed to be upgraded to 100 ft. Besides, the authorities also proposed several new roads.

Roads from Nalgonda crossroads to Dabeerpura and Akbarbagh to Saidabad are some of the new roads proposed in the master plan.