People are with us on road-widening: Mohanty

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 27. Enthused by people's cooperation to the ongoing road-widening, particularly in the Old City, the MCH is planning to borrow money for taking up more such work, according to Dr. P.K. Mohanty, MCH Commissioner.

The Commissioner was addressing presspersons here on Thursday after going round Motigalli and adjoining areas along with members of the City-level Coordination Committee. "People are handing over their properties even before collecting the compensation cheques," he commented while pointing out that 440 of the 700 listed structures had already been pulled down.

"People are fed up of living in congested areas. Hence, they are cooperating with us," Dr. Mohanty said, adding that Rs. 4.8 crores had been paid as compensation so far. He praised the good work done by the MCH staff under Mr. Omar Jaleel, Officer on Special Duty, Charminar.

Referring to the beautification of Charminar area, he advised Mr. Jaleel to have discussions with Old City MLAs and citizens on the road-widening programme. While taking up the work no heritage structure should be touched, he cautioned. Dr. Mohanty, who noticed a window of Khilwat Palace on the verge of collapse, suggested that the MCH and HUDA contribute Rs. 50 lakhs each to the Heritage Conservation Fund.

20 fountains to be set up

Announcing that 20 fountains, similar to the one being put up in front of the MCH head office, would be located on different roads, Dr. Mohanty said they would shore up the city's look and also generate funds in the form of tax paid by people. Each fountain is likely to cost Rs. 20 lakhs.

Dr. Mohanty said the city would also have the best technology for traffic/road signages to be adopted from Bangalore or even Singapore. "We want to make Hyderabad the best signage city", he said.

Mr. M.V. Dinakar Prasad, DCP, Traffic, said that marking of roads would be completed by December-end. With its enhancing looks, the city is getting requests for a visit by officials and representatives of civic bodies like those of Jhansi and Sholapur Corporations, Dr. Mohanty said, adding that Kampala civic body in Uganda had written to the MCH seeking a tie-up with the corporation.

An attempt to green residents' hopes?

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 27. City residents who curse the MCH's Town Planning wing over its functioning can hope to walk through the `green channel' and come out smiling. According to the MCH Commissioner, Dr. P.K. Mohanty, residents could hope to get permissions from the wing the same day under the new arrangement of installing the green channel on every Saturday.

If the permission was not given for some reason, residents could hope to secure it next week, he said at a press conference. As a part of MCH reforms, property tax details (self-assessment) would be made available online from November 1, the State Formation Day. Setting up of a coordination committee for the social sector and a separate budget for the urban community development wing were also on the cards.

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