HYDERABAD: The Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) has called for a meeting of all shopkeepers near Charminar to convince them on the need to adopt uniform signages in front of their business establishments as part of the all round beautification programme.

The idea, part of the Charminar Pedestrianisation Programme (CPP), has been in the limbo for long. But, with the ongoing drive to remove footpath encroachments, road widening for diverting traffic near the historic monument and also the hawkers policy, it has come to the fore.

Additional Commissioner (Planning & Projects) K. Dhananjaya Reddy thinks it is the right moment to urge shop owners to fall in line, as it would also help in preventing re-appearance of signages, boards and other material obstructing footpaths meant for pedestrians.

Clearing drive continues

On Tuesday, the corporation continuing its footpath encroachment clearing drive had removed as many as 500 such structures allegedly put up by shop owners near Charminar and a similar number elsewhere in the city like Mehidipatnam, Ameerpet, Begumpet, Abids, M.J. Market, Putlibowli, Afzalgunj, Secunderabad and so on.

Mr. Reddy said the exercise would be sustained in clearing the ring road near Charminar to make the traffic move towards Gulzar House avoiding the monument. Of the 120 properties between the Gulzar House-Royal Function Hall stretch, about 35 were acquired through mutual consent and rest were pending for award under land acquisition.

About 49 properties on the Mitti-Ka-Sher road and another 30 on the Panchmohalla road are also to be taken over under land acquisition.

On the Charminar-Falaknuma road there were 75 more properties to be acquired. Officials are confident of taking a majority of them within a fortnight.

Mr. Reddy said most of the roads in and around Charminar would have a width between 60ft to 80 ft. Lad Bazar road will be exclusive for pedestrians and paved with cobbled stones.

All public utility pipelines like water, sewerage and telephones are to be put in a common duct.

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