Focus now on Corridor 2

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metro Rail project is picking up pace with the Telangana government keen on commissioning the remaining two corridors. The focus is now shifting on to the Corridor 2 (Jubilee Bus Station/MGBS/Falaknuma).

A 2-month notice has been issued to property owners at Badichowdi and Sultan Bazaar to vacate. The present registration value is Rs 52,000 per sq yard and the Hyderabad Metro Rail has offered them Rs 1,04,000 per square yard. In all, more than 200 properties are acquired at both Badichowdi and Sultan Bazaar. A senior official of HMR said in case owners do not accept the compensation, the amount would be deposited in court.

While pillars on the Badichowdi and Sultan Bazaar stretch have already come up, civic works pertaining to the Water Board and GHMC are moving at a slow pace. The contentious land acquisition issue has now been solved and compensation to a majority of the owners at Badichowdi and Sultan Bazaar has been paid.

Speaking to The Hans India, HMR Managing Director N V S Reddy said, “Works would move at a fast pace now and the road widening on Badichowdi and Sultan Bazaar would be taken up on priority.”

Sultan Bazaar Traders Joint Action Committee chairman Govind Rathi says, “Pipeline is laid but the debris has not been lifted. The place is dusty and causing inconvenience. Our requests have gone unheeded. If the work is not expedited, we would go on an agitation.”

On Saturday, a team of officials of HMR and Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) visited the area and took stock of the situation. The officials assured the traders that work would be completed in the next 10 days.

At Badichowdi, the road is to be 80 feet including the road after land acquisition and 65 feet at Sultan Bazaar. A P Prasad, property in-charge of Ramnarayan Bhavan, said, “We would be losing 40 sq yards.” For some owners who have let out their premises, the coming of metro rail has been a blessing in disguise as they have been getting nominal rent and getting them vacated next to impossible.

For others, who have small area they would be losing out their whole property and can no longer continue with their businesses. Satish, owner of Kabalavai Satyanarayana & Son Jewellers, says, “We would be left with just a few square yards and there is no way we can build a structure again.”