HYDERABAD: The latest hurdle to the progress of the Outer Ring Road Phase I work from Gachibowli to Shamshabad is blown away with the High Court disposing of a writ petition in favour of HUDA.

The work on the stretch near the Moulana Azad National Urdu University involving blasting of boulders to pave way for the four-lane road was suspended since February when the Urdu University filed a writ in the High Court that the blasting work would damage one of its buildings and obtained a stay.

The stay affected 1 million cubic metre of work that would take two to five months to accomplish and the HUDA officials were worried that the delay might affect the target set for providing ORR connectivity to the International Airport.

With the verdict now in favour of HUDA, the blasting work would be resumed again. The court also directed that the building constructed by the Urdu university close to the ORR boundary without permission from the local body or HUDA be demolished, according to HUDA authorities.

The 24 km phase I stretch from Gachibowli to Shamshabad has boulders and small hillocks in many areas requiring rock-cutting to pave way for the four-lane road.Thus taken by surprise with the stay order, HUDA officials realised that the Urdu University had violated the norm by taking up the construction within 15 metres from ORR boundary and issued a notice to the authorities that the building itself was illegal as it did not have permission .

The university authorities argued that a university did not require any permission from the local body for a construction within the campus premises. The HUDA again clarified that only Osmania University had such liberty owing to the special deemed status as a local body accorded to it by the Central Government. The High Court which heard both the parties gave a ruling on Monday in favour of HUDA and also directed that the illegal building of the Urdu university be demolished.

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