2 property owners put spokes in RuB works

Anandbagh: It is a case of so close, yet so far. The RuB (road under bridge) construction in East Anandbagh that started four-and-a-half-years back is stuck due to the unwillingness of two persons out of 54 property owners who are reluctant to part with their land. The water works department, Railways and the Electricity department have completed their job of shifting the pipelines, tucking the tracks and shifting the high-tension wire underground respectively. The R&B department is supposed to complete the service road, approach road and the under bridge construction.

Though these departments have completed their work in time the bridge construction is not completed yet. As a result, commuters and pedestrians are facing trouble.

According to the design, 54 properties were to be acquired and the government had approved the acquisition in the form of floor land or cash according to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013. After the approvals, most of them accepted to take the compensation and co-operate with the work. However, two property owners from the lot are not ready to take the government approved compensation and are demanding 4-6 times more of what the government has already approved.

MLA visit

The newly-elected Malkajgiri MLA Mynampally Hanmanth Rao visited the site on Saturday to take stock of the progress. According to people in the know of things, he impressed upon the locals to look at the larger picture and public good.

"Government has the authority to take away their property if they do not cooperate," said BT Srinivasan, general secretary, United Federation Resident's Welfare Association (UFRWA).

Mynampally has been keenly following the progress. His predecessor Ch Malla Reddy too visited the site several times last year. He visited the site on Saturday and discussed measures to get it completed as soon as possible.

"One hopes that in the next few months the work would be complete and ready for the public to use," said BT Srinivasan.