Date:20/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/20/stories/2008112058350300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

CPDCL on land acquisition spree

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: The Central Power Distribution Company Limited, which faced acute space crisis for its substations in recent times, is on a whirlwind land acquisition spree. With its eye firmly fixed on future distribution of loads and corresponding need for substations, the company is acting a step ahead of time in finalising the locations, and negotiating with the authorities concerned.

As many as 19 sites across the city and Ranga Reddy district are being actively pursued by the Chief General Manager of the Metro Zone for construction of substations.

These include Golconda, Durgam Cheruvu, Erragadda, Borabanda, Punjagutta, Chintal Basthi, Koti Women’s College, Nizam College, Ramnagar, Musheerabad, Panjesha, Bahadurpura, Vattepally, Chatrinaka, Rajeevnagar, Nizamia General Hospital, Begumpet, ESI and Tarnaka.

Alienation proposals with regard to government lands identified for the substations are at various stages of processing. Wherever the sites are under private or departmental ownership, Memoranda of Understanding are being entered into for acquisition of land.

The Roads and Buildings Department is being pursued to part with its land at either Punjagutta or Erram Manzil while Osmania University has been approached for space at Koti Women’s College and Nizam College, apart from another site at Chintal Basthi.

Similar proposals are pending with AP Vaidya Vidhana Parishad for its site at Panjesha and with the Department of Ayush for space inside the Nizamia General Hospital.

An MoU will soon be entered into with the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology at Tarnaka for erection of substation in their premises.

MoU with HPS

Another MoU is through with the management of the Hyderabad Public School. The long-pending request for site at ESI has been accepted when Union Minister Oscar Fernandes visited the place. A Central team visited the location recently for granting clearance. Unlike the earlier practice whereby CPDCL got land free of cost for its substations, some sort of compensation would be inevitable now. “It could be direct payment or gratuitous favours as the case may be,” says a company official.