Religious structures, court cases and compensation issues continue to hinder road-widening in southern parts of the city, two years after the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) identified some key interior roads for taking up works. The delay is resulting in misery for motorists who are forced to commute through the narrow road stretches.
A meeting in May 2011 called at the behest of Mayor Majid Hussain, and attended by public representatives of old city as well as GHMC officials, decided to take up the works on a war-footing and complete them by 2012-end.
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To accelerate the progress and avoid tangles, the GHMC preferred to acquire properties after taking the consent of property owners, instead of the land acquisition route. However, this formula has not helped speed up the plan as a few residents have not given their consent citing reservations, while on the other hand officials have limited their job to serving notices.
For example, the GHMC identified Morning Star Hotel in Rein Bazaar Chaman for road-widening. Although there are 32 properties, the officials could get consent only from 15 property owners, while negotiations are on with the remaining. Likewise, on the Volga Hotel-Fateh Darwaza stretch, officials served notices and identified the extent of each property to be demolished. It is the same case with the Bushra Hospital-Esra Hospital stretch.
On Uppuguda-Chatrinaka road, works are yet to begin as the property owners are yet to be given structural compensation. “The structural compensation is fixed after the Engineering Department submits a report after visiting the property. It is also a cumbersome process and takes many days at a stretch resulting in delays,” says a town planning official.
“Property owners are reluctant to part with their properties on some key routes delaying the road-widening works. Those who are coming forward are being paid the compensation promptly and their properties are being taken over,” Balasubrahmanyam Reddy, Zonal Commissioner (south) said. He added that the GHMC is holding talks with management panels of religious places to convince them.
HURDLES ALL THE WAY
Religious structures, court cases and compensation issues hinder road-widening
Even after two years of identifying roads to be widened works have not started
GHMC prefers acquiring properties after taking consent of property owners, instead of land acquisition to avoid tangles
Some residents refuse to give consent
Many property owners yet to get structural compensation
GHMC holding talks with panels of religious places to convince them
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