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.
