In rapid moves, municipal corporation authorities removed encroachments on footpaths, roadsides and also in municipal area opposite TTD pilgrim complexes Srinivasam and Vishnu Nivasam, on railway station road here on Wednesday. The encroachments and building projections beyond permitted length , on the road between Ramanuja circle to Sankarambadi circle, on Tirupati-Tiruchanur road were also demolished by the authorities, with heavy police support, amidst strong protests by the vendors.
In a preplanned move, the municipal corporation engineering, town planning and other wings began the operation of removing the encroachments to ensure free flow of vehicles in the busy Srinivasam road, Tiruchanur road and also railway station road in the morning and completed the task by afternoon.
Talking to Express, municipal corporation commissioner T Prasad said that 40 bunks, push carts and other encroachments opposite Srinivasam, 17 in Vishnu Nivasam area and 13 on Tiruchanur road, which are accident prone areas, were removed. He said that the removal of encroachments opposite Srinivasam was to ensure free movement of pilgrims and vehicles had been taken up two months ago, but was suspended following a court stay order. With the stay order removed, the corporation took up the clearing of encroachments in the three busy areas, he explained.
It is learnt that, authorities had delayed the clearing of the encroachments due to byelection and had smartly undertaken it immediately a day after byelection, to avoid any political pressure coming in the way of the removal of encroachments.
