SUNNY DAYS AHEAD: The Paradise-Bowenpally stretch is bereft of streetlights. However, things are about to change for the better. — PHOTO: Satish H

HYDERABAD: The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) has decided to light up its main roads phase-wise in the coming months by erecting modern streetlights through build, operate and transfer (BOT) mode.

A public auction is to be conducted on Monday for the stretch from Paradise Circle to Air Force Station, Begumpet, and from Patny to Bolarum.

Modern lights

The stretch will be lit up by 350 streetlights. Ten other roads of 100 km length, too, have been identified for erection of modern lights.

They are: Paradise Junction-new Monda market road, AOC swimming pool-Ramakrishnapuram, Diamond Point-Medchal, Bowenpally to Balanagar, Bowenpally-Trimulgherry, Diamond Point-Jubilee bus station, Sikh road-Tadbund.

Timers to be set up

BOT developer will have to supply, erect, commission the necessary equipment and also bear the entire expenditure for laying underground cables as well as timers, besides maintaining them.

Firms in lieu can utilise the poles for display advertisement to generate revenue for a maximum period of five years.

The BOT developer has to complete work within four months and will have to pay the requisite advertisement tax during the contract period, SCB Chief Executive Officer V. Premchand says.

Two studies commissioned by the SCB and conducted by two major lighting companies on the streetlights' requirement in the area will be offered to the developer or the agency can do its own survey.

A survey has indicated the design of poles, textures, positioning and angle of lights to be put up and the two agencies calculated the total cost to be between Rs. 12 crore and Rs. 16 crore.

Cut in billing

Mr. Premchand says the SCB has managed to reduce the monthly billing from Rs. 15 lakh by Rs. 1.8 lakh by changing the timings for switching on streetlights to 6.45 p.m. instead of 5.30 p.m. and switching off at 5 a.m. instead of 7 a.m.

The board is negotiating with the Central Power Distribution Company Limited to bill it on a par with municipalities at the rate of Rs. 3.20 per unit as against Rs. 3.62 being charged to it and the GHMC.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail