The ambitious Bus Rapid Transit System is dogged by land-related problems. The two corridors of BRTS have been taken up at a cost of Rs.453 crore under the Centrally-sponsored Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and cover about 40 km. While 80 to 90 per cent of the work has been completed in stretches where land is available, in the rest of the areas where work has not started bottlenecks are taking a long time for resolution.
One of the issues to be resolved is relocating those living at Ramakrishnapuram. It has been resolved that they would be provided house sites.
For a long time the municipal corporation expressed its inability to provide house sites but complying with a court order it decided to provide them sites.
The relocation, however, is proving a tangle. When their relocation has been proposed at Madhurawada, it met with resistance by locals there. The Ramakrishnapuram villagers sought land at Mudasarlova catchment area. It can not be conceded as it is against norms.
When officials sought to shift them to Chinamushidivada area, local leaders have objected stating that it would deprive them of land for housing or other purposes.
Tribal Welfare Minister P. Balaraju expressed surprise at the stand taken by local leaders. “How could anyone object to people being relocated for a government project stalling the entire work?” he asked.
Stiff opposition
The Adavivaram-Gosala road is another stretch that has been facing stiff opposition. While 0.5 km of road is under the Simhachalam Devasthanam, on another 1.5 km private properties are needed for widening the road.
Earlier, the government offered only one TDR. A fresh GO is offering two TDRs. However, the owners are not willing to give properties even for double TDRs.
Officials are now thinking of invoking the Land Acquisition Act and issuing a notification. Unless work is speeded up, the GVMC cannot meet the target of completing it by June, 2013.
