A feasibility study undertaken by the engineering wing of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has shown that a majority of the vacant railway land is unusable.
The GHMC had written to the South Central Railway (SCR) on March 1 asking it to allot 54 acres of the vacant land under its possession for construction of two bedroom houses for the poor. However, on visiting the sites, the GHMC officials found large-scale encroachments making it a herculean task to carry out construction in future in case the SCR parts with its land.
The request was placed for vacant land at Mettuguda, Lingampally, Lalaguda, Chilkalguda and Malkajgiri.
As per the study, only 16 acres can be used for the construction of seven units. The officials found four land parcels at Chilkalguda and one at Malkajgiri free of any encroachment. The Hyderabad District Collectorate forwarded the information to the GHMC after which the proposal was made to the SCR.
The SCR has forwarded the letter to the Railway Board for further action.
On Tuesday, GHMC Commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy met Vinod Kumar Yadav, SCR General Manager to discuss the issue.
With the latest feasibility study out, the GHMC officials are expected to revise their request to allot only those parcels of land that can be used.
“The SCR has to be compensated for the land that will be transferred to the GHMC for implementing the scheme. Since most of the land of the 54 acres cannot be used, it will be an unnecessary burden for the government. Another proposal may be sent to the SCR soon requesting it to allot only 16 acres,” said a senior official of the engineering wing of GHMC.
