HYDERABAD: After getting chief minister’s approval, which is likely in a day or two, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation will take up laying of a 100-ft-wide road from the Safilguda railway station gate to Entrenchment Road (East Marredpally Road) with a six-lane carriageway.
The 2.86-km-long alternative road, when completed, is expected to mitigate the hardships of commuters with the Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) authorities deciding to close the roads in the Cantonment area to the public. The move to close the road connecting AOC Centre with RK Puram has been deferred till May 31, following a public outcry.
Municipal administration minister KT Rama Rao approved the GHMC’s proposal two days ago and the department forwarded it to the chief minister for his nod.
“The file is on the chief minister’s table. Once he approves the proposal, GHMC will start the process for laying the alternative road,” GHMC officials told Express.
For laying the new road and a road overbridge (RoB), which will cost around Rs 115 crore, the GHMC sought 23.94 acres of defence land and urged the state government to pursue the matter with the ministry of defence. The Army has agreed, in principle, to part with its land on certain conditions including exchange of state government land of equal value.
GHMC officials conducted a detailed survey as per the fixed routes and alignment. Last month, they had inspected the alignment of the proposed road inside AOC premises and held deliberations with the commander of AOC Centre, Brig. Dalip Singh. If the Army authorities hand over the land to the municipal corporation, it will take at least 18 to 24 months to build the road.
Army authorities have requested the GHMC to furnish willingness from the principal secretary for exchange of state government land with defence land on equal land value basis. A revenue department’s map of the area of the state government land being offered in exchange of the defence land has also been demanded by the Army.