The Hindu 23.03.2013
Major bottleneck for BRTS work cleared
220 families shifted from Ramakrishnapuram to Pineapple Colony.
A major bottleneck for the Simhachalam corridor of BRTS
has been cleared with shifting of around 220 families from
Ramakrishnapuram to a GVMC site near Pineapple Colony. Each family is
being given 50 square yards of land in a six-acre land of GVMC.
The
encroachment has been stalling the BRTS work for nearly four years now.
The families living there have sought house-sites rejecting the housing
offered to them by the corporation. They have moved the High Court and
obtained an order. Earlier, efforts to shift them met with stiff
resistance. Since June last, 100 families have been shifted to the
JNNURM houses constructed at Pineapple Colony after they agreed to go
there.
The remaining people wanted sites at
Mudasarlova but since it is located in the catchment area of the
reservoir there that could not be done. They refused to go to
Madhurawada and wanted sites close to Ramakrishnapuram. Though they were
willing to go to China Mushidivada, a public representative wanted the
site to be left for development there.
The residents
finally agreed to go to Pineapple Colony and the process began on Friday
morning. It has been going on till late in the evening. Lots have
already been drawn allotting sites and coupons given to them to enable
shifting. The removal of structures vacated also began simultaneously.
Work
on a stretch of 0.75 km was affected because of the 400 m bottleneck at
Ramakrishnapuram. Work on the stretch will take two to three weeks for
laying the road, sources said.
Municipal Commissioner
M.V. Satyanarayana who was in Hyderabad described it as removal of a
hurdle and a major step towards completion of BRTS. He directed
executive engineer K.V.N. Ravi to take up work on a war-footing. He
thanked people’s representatives, officials and colony residents for
their co-operation.
Additional Commissioners General
and Projects respectively K. Ramesh and B. Nagendra Kumar, Chief City
Planner Balakrishna, UCD Project Director M.N.A. Patrudu, zone
commissioner N. Sivaji, deputy city planner Venkata Subbaiah and other
officials oversaw the shifting of residents.