RailEnquiry

While Sangeet junction - Tarnaka road widening muddle between Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and South Central Railway (SCR) continues, hassled commuters face danger to life due to power equipment in the middle of the road.It has been months since sections of the road near the junction – from St. John's church and another stretch towards the railway quarters was widened and metal carpeted. Yet, electric poles and power equipment maintenance boxes are not relocated, obstructing the carriageway, defeating the very purpose of road widening.“These poles and boxes slow down the traffic during peak hours. They are potential death traps during nights as it is next to impossible to sight them. It's a miracle no major mishap had occurred,” points out Kumar, who travels on the road every day.It also showcases the utter lack of coordination between the A.P. Central Power Distribution Company Limited (APCPDCL) and the municipal corporation. More so, when it was decided that shifting of electric poles and other equipment should be done on top priority for road widening between senior officials of both departments.Senior municipal officials, when contacted, stated that the power utility body has been sounded several times to remove them.“We are planning a meeting between the GHMC Commissioner and APCPDCL CMD to tackle this and other related issues soon,” they said.

Widening held up

Similar meeting is also being proposed with SCR officials to solve the vexatious land deal issue so that the entire road till Tarnaka can be widened uniformly to 150 ft. About 52,938 sq.mts of land or 12 acres was sought and the railways had handed over 34,056 sq metres land with the remaining land to be acquired being 18,881 sq mts.

The barter deal where SCR was to get 20 acres of land for development of Tirupati station in lieu of space here promised much but did not fructify. Railway authorities are insisting on monetary compensation too if there is variation in the land cost variation at both places, senior officials said.

Hopes now rest with the three-member High Court appointed committee headed by former Law Commissioner chairman M. Jagannadha Rao to come out with a solution acceptable to all.