The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : Development, a casualty on city roads

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 29, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Development, a casualty on city roads

By G. V. Ramana Rao

VIJAYAWADA, SEPT. 28. With the passing of Krishna Pushkarams, infrastructure development in Vijayawada city has come to a standstill, leaving many traffic bottlenecks on the arterial roads. Works are left incomplete in patches at several points in the city.

The first phase of the widening of Karl Marx (Eluru) Road - entrusted to the Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (UDA) -- is still incomplete with the authorities facing litigation from building-owners.

Most building-owners had agreed for demolition of part of their buildings on payment of compensation. No compensation was paid for the land, since it was seen as an encroachment. UDA officials said the road would be widened to 80 feet, if the building-owners gave their consent, or else, to 100 feet. Many agreed, but some remained adamant. The authorities widened the road to 100 feet at points where the owners refused to budge and decided to use that space for parking and as bus-bays.

Religious sentiments

UDA faced opposition to widening at temple sites and at a burial ground opposite the Vijetha Hospitals. The dispute is still pending in court. Officials who demolished the wall of the burial ground had to rebuild it in August after people of a particular community protested. The road here is left without a divider, because it was not widened at the point. There are frequent traffic jams there.

The trusts running Hanuman temple near Challapalli Bungalow and Ram Temple near Vijaya Talkies agreed to shift the temple walls. UDA paid Rs 2.75 crores as compensation to owners on Eluru Road so far.

SCR's change of mind

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) took up the widening of the G. S. Raju Road and C. K. Reddy Road. The works remain incomplete causing traffic troubles at the point where the Satyanarayanapuram railway line intersects them. Though the South Central Railway decided to scrap the use of the railway line, initially it wanted the VMC to compensate in the form of land. The VMC offered 25 acres of land elsewhere. Later, SCR officials sought compensation in cash. The VMC had even built a compound wall around the 25 acre plot of land earmarked for the SCR near the VMC-Sibar Disney Land. The VMC officials are puzzled by the sudden change in the SCR's stand.

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