Hanamkonda: Kakatiya Urban Development Authority to focus on land pooling

Hanamkonda: Land pooling is high on the agenda of the Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA), said its Chairman Marri Yadava Reddy. Speaking to media persons here on Monday first time after the State government had extended his term as the Chairman of the KUDA, he said that MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao was keen to create land bank for the future development activities, similarly on the lines of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).

"The KUDA has proposals to earmark Rs 1,000 crore for acquiring at least 500 acres under land pooling scheme. We have plans to depute more staff for the purpose of acquiring land," Reddy said, stating that KUDA would soon be a model one for the other urban development authorities.

Among other major developments, the KUDA has decided to give another opportunity for nearly 7,000 applicants who had already paid Rs 10,000 as registration fee for Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS) and failed to complete the process. The last date for these applicants is December 31 this year.

Referring to the inordinate delay in the progress of the Bhadrakali Lake Foreshore Development Project works, the KUDA Chairman, who sought an excuse for it, asserted that the project would be thrown open in January. It could well be a New Year for the denizens, he added. It may be mentioned here that KUDA is the executing agency of the project being funded under the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), a Central government's ambitious project aimed at holistic development of heritage cities.

Reddy also clarified about the draft Master Plan – 2041, stating that the authorities were working on its finalisation in line with the suggestions made by KTR. He expressed confidence that the draft Master Plan would get the government's nod before the end of November.

While reeling out the development activity during his first term as the KUDA chairman, Reddy said that they have allocated Rs 115 crore for commencing the work on 14-kilometer Inner Ring Road (IRR). The Warangal Urban District administration has allocated 76 acres at Rampur for the Rs 4 crore Oxygen Park.

The urban authority has also called for tenders for the development of merged villages with an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore, he said.