Renigunta, a victim of development

Tirupati: It is intriguing to note that the fast growing suburban Renigunta became a victim of development. The major railway junction with a population of about 40,000 has no adequate public transport facility for the last six years forcing the people of the town to depend on autos to commute to Tirupati or to go to KLM Hospital junction, 2 km away to board a bus to reach Tirupati, the major city for any of their requirements.

It is needless to say the students numbering about 1,000 most of who are studying in the schools and colleges in Tirupati city, 10 km away and those studying in the colleges in Puttur, 30 km away are facing lot of difficulties with buses skipping the town and plying through the bypass road i.e. Tirupati-Chennai national highway.

After Tirupati-Chennai national highway coming into existing, six years back, the buses towards Puttur, Nagari, Satyavedu, Tiruttani, Kanchi and Chennai leaving Tirupati are going via Tiruchanur to join the Chennai highway bypassing Renigunta town. 

While the buses including Kurnool and Hyderabad also going via Karkambadi where the buses join Chennai-Kadapa highway, skipping Renigunta while Rail over Bridge (RoB) came up at Renigunta also adding more to the woes of the people with the buses straight proceeding towards Sriakalahasti without touching the Renigunta bus stand.

Only town buses between Chandragiri and Renigunta and few buses going to Papanaidupeta and Kodur are available for the people, but they are not at all adequate as their timings also not convenient for the students and employees. 

The development of national highways proved disadvantage to Renigunta once a vibrant bus route junction with all Chennai, Nellore and Kadapa bound buses touching it (before the national highways came up).

Against the backdrop, the leaders of political parties and social activists joined under Renigunta Mandala Abhivridhi Vedika (RMAV) and started petitioning authorities including APSRTC, Revenue and the Chief Minister also but in vain, forcing them intensifying the stir six months back. With the authorities remain unmoved, RMAV declared to besiege the RTC Regional Manager’s office here on Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, local MLA and former Minister Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy also wrote to RTC Regional Manager to enhance bus facilities. Reddy after an hour-long discussion with RMAV leaders here on Monday said that the RTC to will operate all the Palle Velugu buses between Nagari-Puttur and Tirupati via Renigunta and also increase the trips of town buses operating from Chandragiri to Renigunta. 

Regional Manager also assured to take up the issue with his counterpart of Tamil Nadu government buses to pass through Renigunta, leading to RMAV leaders suspending their agitation.

RMAV leaders O Venkatramana, Tulasi Rajan, Nagesh and others talking to the media said that they are suspending the stir on the assurance of RTC RM to operate select buses via Renigunta and will not hesitate to resume it if the RM fails to keep his assurance. The leaders also later met RTO Vivekananda Reddy to see the private buses towards Puttur, Nagari and other places in Tamil Nadu go via Renigunta.