The Hindu 02.12.2009

Employees’ union faults VMC on plots

Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) seems to have three different versions about the number of plots in the VMC employees’ layout at Gunadala. The corporation officials had put the total number of plots in the layout at 700, 721 and 646 on three different occasions. There was no consistency in the classification of plots as well. The 200-sq.mtr. plots were shown as 410, 406 and 438, while the 100-sq.mtr. plots were shown as 227, 261 and 268. The 150-sq.mtr. plots were put at 13, 2 and 22. The VMC Employees Union general secretary A. Ranganayakulu says that he received self contradictory replies from the corporation officials. The number of plots allotted to the employees was also shown wrongly. While the endorsement dated June 17, 2009 put the number at 632, another endorsement dated September 30,2009 showed it as 646. Information provided on November 7,2009 mentioned it at 633, he says. Mr. Ranganayakulu says that the officials provided wrong information on many occasions in the past. They furnished “false information” even when it was sought under the RTI Act. “They not only violated the Act but done injustice to the employees. The officials have brought down the number of plots at their whims and fancies, while the general body resolutions direct them to allocate 1,814 plots to the employees,” he says.

Referring to the officials’ replies, Mr. Ranganayakulu says that the land was divided into plots of sizes of 200 sq. mtr., 150 sq. mtr. and 100 sq. mtr., but the number of plots allotted under each size was against the agreed formula. It was earlier decided to divide the land into 192 plots of 200 sq. mtr. each, 195 plots of 150 sq. mtr. each and 427 plots of 100 sq. mtr. each. Mr. Ranganayakulu feels that allocation of plots too has become fishy. Nine employees were allotted plots in 2008 without application numbers. Incidentally, all these employees were working in the office of the commissioner, he points out.

The Hindu 02.12.2009

HMDA promises smooth ride on expressway

– A file photo

Safe ride: Since small bumps were identified and found slightly out of place, a decision was taken to have them addressed.

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has decided to have certain points on the P.V. Narasimha Rao Elevated Expressway connecting the city with the international airport at Shamshabad, freshly attended and ensure a smooth ride for the vehicles.

According to the officials, these small bumps were identified at least on 15 points of expansion joints on the 11.6 km long expressway, considered country’s longest elevated corridor, and since these were found slightly out of place, a decision was taken to have them addressed and rectified appropriately.

“These are small issues that happened at the expansion joints. On the expressway, the expansion joints are there at every 140 metres and wherever required, the necessary measures are to be taken up for ensuring bump free drive,” he said.

At the identified points, the levels at the joints had ended up varying on either side and the same level was not maintained. As a remedy, it was decided to have the BT removed, match the levels and then get the place black topped again.

Meanwhile, a team of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) which conducted a ‘Bump Integration Test’ on the entire stretch few days back for a comprehensive report on the status of the stretch surface and presence of bumps on it, has submitted its findings to the HMDA. The team used digital meters that record the presence of bumps on a stretch of a kilometre and was called in for the mandatory test to work out a reference index of the pavement on the corridor.