TAKING LEAD: CPI (M) MP P. Madhu making a point at the MCH general body meeting on Tuesday.— Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: MCH Commissioner Sanjay Jaju on Tuesday has offered to conduct either a seminar or a workshop to explain the proposed Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) to be taken up at a cost of Rs. 316 crores across six routes for city MPs, MLAs and corporators.

Feasibility

The BRTS plan was at a preliminary stage and nothing has been finalised so far since the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has taken up a feasibility study and it was expected to submit a report, he said.

Elected representatives could give their inputs on the plan once technical details are finalised, said the Commissioner during the general body meeting.

He had to intervene after BJP members including MLA Kishan Reddy and Deputy Mayor G. Subash Chanderji protested against being kept in the dark on BRTS.

Members angry

They were furious that BRTS proposal was made without consulting city MLAs or corporators not in the Standing Committee, which had approved and sent plan to the general body. In fact, they stopped Additional Commissioner (Traffic & Transportation) N.V.S. Reddy from explaining the concept.

The BJP leaders charged officials of making plans in haste just to garner funds from the Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) without bothering to consult public representatives. "When you are spending crores of rupees should you not seek public representatives opinion?" they asked.

Mr. Kishan Reddy contrasted this with the discussion held in detail on metro rail with all public representatives. Mayor T. Krishna Reddy thereafter announced that works proposed under JNNURM would be discussed at the workshop.

Route plans

Under BRTS, MCH plans to have dedicated bus lanes from Mehdipatnam to Uppal - 17 km (Rs. 102 cr), Mehdipatnam to Attapur - 3.7 km (Rs. 22.2 cr), Owaisi Hospital to Aaramghar junction - 9.5 km (Rs.85.5 cr), Moosrambagh bridge to Chaderghat (south bank) - 3.5 km (Rs. 52.5 cr), Moosarambagh bridge - Chanderghat (north bank) - 3.5 km (Rs.31.5 cr) and Punjagutta to Erragadda - 4.5 km (Rs.22.5 cr).

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