Greater Tirupati on the anvil

Development works indicate citizens’ dreams coming true

Tirupati: Is Tirupati slowly marching towards ‘Greater Tirupati’? The fact that the government gives weightage to the proposals for construction of almost nine ROBs or RUBs at level crossings in and around Tirupati in the coming days is sending strong signals that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is committed to making the pilgrim city as greater Tirupati.

Saturday’s high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar and attended by South Central Railway General Manager Vinod Kumar Yadav, TTD EO AK Singhal, District Collector PS Pradyumna, Urban SP Abhishek Mohanty, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Vijayarama Raju and others shows the seriousness of the Chief Minister in taking his dreams into reality.

Apart from developing the core area of Tirupati city under smart city initiative, he wants to develop the whole area from Chandragiri to Renigunta and make it greater Tirupati. For any development in Tirupati the railway line that was passing through the city has become a hurdle for long.

This line also passing through the main high way on Tirupati – Bengaluru via Chittoor route, Tirupati – Madanapalle route that leads to Anantapur also. It takes almost two hours to travel a 70 km distance between Tirupati and Chittoor as one has to cross four railway gates in between questioning the commitment of elected representatives especially MPs for all these years.

In Tirupati city, two level crossings have troubling the people very badly. Through Rayalacheruvu railway gate on an average about four lakh vehicles pass through the gate every day. At Venkateswara theatre, the gate was closed for traffic several years back despite the demands of people and commercial establishments on the other side.

A major step to solve these two problems was laid in the recent past with the initiative of MP V Varaprasad and state government. SCR GM VK Yadav also was showing keen interest on these two gates apart from Tirupati Station’s redevelopment.

Now, as proposed in TUDA master plan the other seven level crossings are to be eliminated by building either ROB or RUB depending on the feasibility. The city cannot grow further on the northern side as it has already touched Tirumala hills limiting the chances towards south only. For this, these bridges would become necessary for which serious discussions were held in the Chief Secretary’s meeting.

Apart from these, the proposals to merge 37 panchayats within 26 km radius into Tirupati Municipal Corporation can also be viewed from greater Tirupati angle. Along with Tirupati railway station redevelopment and development of Tiruchanoor station and West station, RTC model bus stand was also on the cards. The parks in the city being developed in a big way.

TUDA authorities have been discussing with NH and R&B officials on developing various highways and internal roads. TUDA chairman G Narasimha Yadav told The Hans India, “We will include Tiruchanoor railway station development also in our master plan. We have even proposed for a separate line between Chandragiri and Srikalahasti for which land is available.

A local train between Chandragiri and Sri Kalahasti that connects five Sivalayams, one Venkateswara Swamy temple and one Padmavati Ammavari temple under Swarnamukhi river corridor development”. Proposal for a ring road in TUDA limits around Tirupati was also on the cards. “Without much ado, we are working and people will see the development.

Vaikuntamala phase I and II projects will also get an impetus. CM and minister Lokesh were committed to develop Tirupati area industrially to make it an ideal destination in entire Rayalaseema and to provide 2.50 lakh jobs through this”, Yadav asserted.

These development works will make a direct impact on at least four constituencies Tirupati, Srikalahasti, Chandragiri and Nagari and indirectly in two or three segments.

By V Pradeep Kumar