At a recent Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) meeting the issue was brought to the notice of Ramakanth Reddy by the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC). As of now there are nearly 600 bus shelters in the city, but the contentious issue is that many of them are not constructed where they are actually required.

In places like Mettuguda, Rail Nilayam, Alugaddabavi, Punjagutta, Balamrai, Diamond Point, Hasmatpet, Ameerpet there are no bus shelters though the locations have been considered important.

Ironically in some locations there are bus shelters though there is no notified bus stop. The epitome is the NTR Marg where there are nearly six bus shelters though buses do not ply on the road. Similar is the case at Road Number 2 in Banjara Hills, Maithrivanam near Ameerpet, Balkampet and others.

It has been alleged that GHMC allowed the contractors to construct bus shelter at locations where there will be demand for advertisements.

There are many locations in the city, where additional bus shelters are constructed than what is required, though the passenger movement is minimal. But those locations attract high eyeballs and the scope for advertisement revenue is high for the contracting firm.

Till late 2005, nearly 1,250 bus shelters have been constructed and maintained by APSRTC. The revenue generated from advertisements on bus shelters had been used by APSRTC.

Later GHMC expressed its interest to the government to take up construction of bus shelters itself besides seeking a 50 per cent share in advertisement revenue.

In 2008, the GHMC allocated works for the construction of Modern Bus Shelters, in place of existing bus shelters, and awarded works to some contractors. All the bus shelters were constructed under Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model.

Initially the identification of locations for bus shelters was done unilaterally by GHMC in coordination with contractors. Realising that the constructed bus shelters were not where the bus stops should have been, a committee was formed with officials of GHMC and APSRTC as members to identify the locations.

The committee finalised the locations but still a number of bus shelters were constructed disregarding passengers’ convenience.

``The Chief Secretary had directed both the GHMC and APSRTC to undertake a study afresh and relocate the bus shelters keeping passengers’ convenience in mind,” said sources in the APSRTC.

The reason is that all the allocated funds for previous projects under JNNURM by the Union Government have been exhausted and seeking fresh funds looks remote and impossible.

The Central Government allocated an amount Rs 2,148.26 crore to the GHMC for various projects, some of which have been completed.

The GHMC has proposed to take up projects worth Rs 8,000 crore under Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UI&G) and Basic Service for Urban Poor (BSUP). Under UI&G, projects worth Rs 7,337,55 crore and under BSUP works worth Rs 623.83 crore have been proposed.

The projects proposed under UI&G include (1) Widening of 44 roads - Rs 555 crore, (2) Integrated Solid Waste Management Project (ISWMP) - Rs 483.21 crore, (3) Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP) - Rs 59.34 crore and (4) Integrated Storm Water Drainage Project for GHMC - Rs 6,245 crore.

The projects intended to be taken up under BSUP are (1) Construction of 4,743 houses - Rs 166.31 crore, (2) Infrastructure like roads, water and sewerage to 24 housing colonies in GHMC (3) Construction of 4,848 houses in 10 housing colonies - Rs 170 crore.

Speaking to Express, senior GHMC officials admitted that all the sanctioned JNNURM funds for GHMC had been spent and expressed doubts and apprehensions of receiving additional funds from the Central Government as the JNUURM will end in another two years.

The GHMC is still confident of receiving funds from Central Government since several cities in the country selected by GoI under JNNURM could not utilise the funds. The unfortunate part is that many of the cities in the country could not even submit project reports to claim the funds. The unused JNNURM funds can be allocated to GHMC for taking up future projects, they said.

Of the Rs 2,148 crore sanctioned under JNNURM, GHMC spent the funds for taking as many as 27 projects that include 10 UI&G projects (Rs 407.09 crore) and 17 BSUP projects (Rs 1741.17 crore).

Under U&IG, the GHMC completed three flyovers under urban transport at Punjagutta, Greenlands and Chandrayangutta. Two projects under heritage precincts that include Musi Revitalisation Project and Charminar Pedestrianisation Project and five Storm Water Drain projects.

Under BSUP, funds were spent on construction of houses and providing infrastructure in housing colonies like laying roads, fixing streetlights, providing drinking water and building sewerage.