VIZIANAGARAM: The reversal of decision on widening of the main road taken prior to civic body elections by a Minister and a local MLA has stirred the hornet's nest. Traders feel that the recent announcement by K. Veerabhadra Swamy, MLA, that the road would be widened up to 80 feet is violation of the `gentleman agreement.' The widening of road between Three Lamps junction to SBI main branch remained a controversy ever since Minister B. Satyanarayana proposed the road widening up to 80 feet before the civic body elections. However, the controversy subsided just before the elections when a `gentleman agreement' between traders and Minister / MLA was reached.

As per the agreement the traders were to give space on their own without demanding compensation for widening of the road up to 60 feet. Barring a few shop- owners, a majority of traders demolished structures and rebuilt them by investing lakhs of rupees but execution of the road widening did not take off, as some shop owners filed a petition in court. The court in its order asked the municipality to follow guidelines strictly and go ahead with the widening work. Following the order the MLA, after consulting the Minister, announced that the road would be widened up to 80 feet. The traders, who had already removed structures on their own, felt cheated and regret that the MLA's announcement was in violation of the `gentleman agreement.'

CPI(M) threat

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) launched an agitation against reversal of the decision. The party members on Friday staged a dharna at the municipal office demanding rehabilitation of small traders.

The party divisional secretary Reddy Sankar Rao said that his party would obstruct execution of work if an all-party meeting was not convened to clear apprehensions on rehabilitation of small traders and compensation amount.

Municipal Commissioner D.J. Samson told this correspondent that the municipality was awaiting clearance from R&B for serving notices on shop- keepers.

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