The Times of India            25.11.2013

GHMC acquires property opposite Green Mosque

HYDERABAD: After taking over the land belonging to Green Mosque (Masjid-e-Hussaini) on Road No. 2, Banjara Hills for widening works, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has finally acquired land on the other side of the road as well.

With this, GHMC would be able to widen the 60 to 65 feet road to 100 feet. Officials said the land owner has agreed to part with 104 square yards of his property (bearing number 8-2-268/2/B/5) for expansion of the road. GHMC had proposed to acquire 153 sq yards land. However, the owner agreed to hand over 104 square yards. Property owner Harvinder Kaur would therefore be paid Rs 84.91 lakh as compensation apart from benefits under the Land Acquisition Act. Sources said the compensation cheque would be handed over to the owner after getting clearance from the GHMC standing committee.

The Green Mosque management, which had parted with 333 sq yards of its land for widening the stretch, was also paid Rs 84,500 per sq yard, 30% solatium and 12% additional amount (Rs 2.81 crore), a month ago. The GHMC had sought 650 square yards of 2,000 sq yards land from mosque committee for widening the road. The mosque committee agreed to part with 333 sq yards and Mountain Bakery, which is on the mosque annexe, was shifted into a new building on the premises. "Although the compensation is the highest-ever paid in the city, the corporation has come forward to put an end to decades-old traffic snarls on the road," an official of the land acquisition wing of the GHMC told TOI.

The GHMC has been struggling to expand the road since 2005. The stretch up to Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills, was widened to 100 ft before the Asian Development Bank meeting in 2006. Due to opposition by the mosque committee and the Hindu graveyard committee at Punjagutta, the road was not expanded. However, one side of the road near Punjagutta graveyard was subsequently expanded by convincing the graveyard committee.

Meanwhile, the town planning wing would complete widening works by December-end.

The road near Green Mosque in Banjara Hills will be expanded to 100 feet from 60-65 feet with land owner opposite the mosque agreeing to part with 104 sq yrds plot to GHMC

Earlier, Green Mosque management had given away 333 sq yards of its land for road expansion.

GHMC town planning wing plans to complete the road widening work by December-end.