Tirupati: CPI flays delay in completion of Srinivasa Sethu works
CPI activists staging a protest demanding completion of Srinivasa Sethu works at Poornakumbham circle in Tirupati on Saturday
Tirupati: CPI activists led by party state committee member G Rama Naidu and district secretary P Murali on Saturday staged a protest near RTC bus stand (Poornakumbham circle) against the delay in completion of Srinivasa Sethu flyover and seeking the concerned higher officials including city MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, TTD EO Dharma Reddy, Municipal Commissioner D Haritha and SP P Parameswar Reddy to see the construction firm complete the works immediately to end the traffic woes of people due to the closure of road. The CPI activists holding party flags squatted on the road and raised slogans to press the TTD and Municipal Corporation to expedite the works that are going on at a snail’s pace, causing severe inconvenience to people including the more than one lakh pilgrims arriving daily from various places to be caught in the traffic snarls, before going to Tirumala for darshan.
Speaking on the occasion, Rama Naidu and Murali said that traffic on the ROB was stopped for 40 days to facilitate the last and final stage of Srinivasa Sethu works, resulting in the police diverting the traffic.
SP Parameswar Reddy and MCT authorities concerned with the flyover construction stated that the flyover works on ROB will be completed in 30 days and traffic would be resumed on the road which is the main entry and exit point to the city.
Though 40 days over, the crucial works were not completed and the traffic diversion continuing causing inconvenience to the people, they said and demanded the authorities to look into the reasons that slowed the works and resume it immediately for completion.
They pointed that the work which begun in 2019 was scheduled to be completed in 14 months i.e. March 2020 but still dragging and alleged that the apathy of the officials was the prime reason for delay in the works.
City secretary Viswanath wanted the TTD to release its share of funds for the construction without any delay and also urged the TTD to press the Railways to give their permission immediately. The leaders warned that they would intensify the stir if the works were not resumed for completion.
AITUC district secretary Radhakrishna, Mahila Sangham district secretary Nadia and others were present.
It may be noted here that TTD Chairman Y V Subba Reddy and EO Dharma Reddy many times said that flyover works will be completed by June-end but sources said that crucial construction works on ROB between Ramanuja circle and Poornakumbham circle are yet to commence indicating that it will take minimum another month or more for completion. In other words, the agony and sufferings of the people would continue due to traffic congestion in some routes due to diversion.
Meanwhile, Corporation sources said that they are serving a notice to the construction firm holding it responsible for delay causing mental agony to people and added that it was the prime responsibility of the construction firm to get permission from Railways for installing heavy weight girders as it requires stoppage of train movement for about two hours.