Huda mobilises Rs 15 cr under regularisation

The Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (Huda) has mobilised Rs 15 crore under Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS) till date.

As many as 6,000 applications were submitted in just one month and Huda expects another 4,000 by the end of May.

The applicants are expected to pay another Rs 15 crore to Huda by the end of this year as the state had given them option to pay the penalty in two instalments.

“Realtors and plot owners understood that they would get good returns if the layouts are regularised. We suggest that others too utilise the scheme,” said a senior official of Huda.

Huda officials claimed that they would have raised more money but they could not do so with the formation of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation one year ago. All the 12 municipalities that were under the jurisdiction of Huda now fall under GHMC limits.

The GHMC mobilised around Rs 250 crore with the building penalisation scheme. But Huda could not mobilise even 10 per cent of the amount. Huda officials have decided to publicise the LRS in districts as more than 10,000 unauthorised layouts are located on the outskirts of the city.

Some officials fear that the scheme would hamper the systematic growth on outskirts.

“The scheme may benefit applicants but it would lead to haphazard growth in suburbs,” said another Huda official

3,000 families to be displaced

Near ly 3,000 families will be displaced from their homes in two weeks because of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s Rs 600crore road widening scheme.

GHMC has decided to develop 42 main routes in 12 surrounding municipalities, which were merged with the core city to form Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

Of the proposed plans, works on 13 roads will commence in a fortnight, GHMC officials told this correspondent.

The minimum width of each road proposed is 60 feet compared to the existing width of 25 feet.

GHMC also plans to widen the roads up to 250 feet on some routes such as Kukatpally ‘Y’ junction to Kukatpally circle limit and National Highway 202 from Nalla Cheruvu to TV Studio at Ramanthapur.

But, senior officials said the plan will materialise only if private properties are taken over.

However, not all the property owners are willing to part with their properties for road widening.

“There is no need to widen this road for another 10 years. Traffic is not heavy on this route.

Besides, there is an alternate route also for motorists,” said Mr G.

Seetharama Rao, an advo cate and resident of Chilakanagar in Uppal.

“Probably this is the price we have to pay for becoming citizens of Greater city. We never thought that road widening will be taken up so soon in erstwhile municipality limits. We are planning to form an association to negotiate with officials for a better deal,” said residents of Radhika Colony.

Several other owners said sufficient time had not been given to respond to the notices served. “Not all of us have received notices. We will move the court to protect our properties,” local Telugu Desam leader, Mr V.

Subba Rao, a resident of Hemanagar told this correspondent.

Six roads in Kapra, five in Qutbullapur, four each in Uppal, Kukatpally and Patancheru-Ramachandrapuram, three each in Alwal, Gaddiannaram, LB Nagar, Malkajgiri, Rajendernagar and Serilingampally north and Serilingampally south have to be widened.