The Hindu              04.09.2013

All roads halt here

Motorists in the south of the city continue to negotiate
through the most congested of roads, a year-and-a-half after the
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) proposed to take up large
scale road-widening work here.

Authorities had
identified about 40 road stretches, to be developed at a cost of Rs. 250
crore, the work was to be complete by the end of 2012.

A
meeting in May last, called by Mayor Majid Hussain, and attended by all
seven MLAs representing Old City as well as GHMC officials, had decided
to take up the works on a war-footing and assured full co-operation.

As
the current year inches towards its end, there is still no sign of the
works being completed. In fact, the authorities have not even issued
notices to many property owners due to various reasons.

The
GHMC preferred to acquire properties after taking the consent of the
property owners, instead of the land acquisition route to avoid legal
tangles.

Officials admit that works are progressing
at a snail’s pace. Of the 40 road stretches identified for widening,
only a few major thoroughfares have been completed while work is yet to
begin on the interior roads. The work is also plagued with legal issues,
religious structures coming in the way and property owners insisting on
re-evaluations. Shortage of manpower is another major hindrance, it is
said.

For example, road-widening works on the
Chanchalguda junction to Madannapet got delayed after a few property
owners moved court. Work on the Chandrayangutta-Errakunta stretch is not
complete as CRPF authorities have not handed over their property.
Similarly, at Bahadurpura junction, three more properties await
demolition.

Meanwhile, officials have issued notices
to property owners at Fatehdarwaza – Volga hotel stretch (92
properties), Morning Star – Rein Bazaar Chaman (30), Rakshapuram to Edi
Bazaar (330), Gowlipura road (163), Med’s Hospital – Petla Burj (49) to
name a few most congested stretches. The consent of the land owners is
awaited.

However, GHMC South Zone Commissioner N. Ravi Kiran is confident of speeding up the works in the next few months.

“The
works were delayed due to festivals and other priorities but certainly
there will be progress on this front in the next few months,” he claims.

Hyderabad
Mayor Majid Hussain has assured of the completion of the work in the
next few months. Road-widening works on major thoroughfares of the Old
City like Midhani, Saidabad and Keshavgiri, which were delayed for many
years, were completed in the last one year. On the interior stretches,
Mr. Hussain said the GHMC was in negotiations with property owners on
compensation.