Master Plan Road works to be completed by June: Dy Mayor

Tirupati: The completion of the 12 Master Plan Road works taken up by the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) apart from linking the North and South areas in the pilgrim city, will ultimately see a vast stretch of about 3,500 acre of lands lying vacant for long in the eastern side of the city will come into use.

For want of proper roads, these sites purchased mostly by the middle income groups are lying vacant and the completion of roads soon trigger development in much neglected area and also increase the land value manifold much to the relief of site owners and also fulfil the dream of scores of people to have comfortable and spacious houses.

It is pertinent to note that these areas though 0.5-4 km away from main city, due to no road connectivity remained undeveloped resulting in the areas that are far away than the east part, witnessing phenomenal growth thanks to the burgeoning pilgrim (rush) economy. Deputy Mayor Bhumana Abhinay, the driving force behind the road works moving fast, talking to The Hans India, said the Corporation is determined to complete all the roads by June.

The elected municipal council comprising 80 percent of the youth including Mayor Dr Sirisha, enthusiastic to do something that would be remembered by the people of the world famous pilgrim city forever, turned their attention first on the long neglected eastern part of the city, resulting in the council approving to take up 15 Master Plan Road works.

In fact, most of the roads were not new in the sense they were proposed many times but all these years remained only on papers, hamstringing the city expansion which in turn made the main city crowded and congested, he said explaining the reason for the Corporation taking up the 15 MPRs.

TUDA agreed to take up 3 roads leaving the remaining 12 by the Corporation as part of 'Rapid Urbanisation,' from its own funds, he averred. On the impact and benefits of roads, he said first it would ease congestion including traffic in the main city and next the substantial number of middle class people, who have sites in eastern parts of city, will start shifting to new greenfield areas thanks to road development and multi-storied apartments with bigger space soon follow, as these areas are near the main town i.e. 0.5 km to 4 kms. Replying to a question on the relief and rehabilitation of the affected due to the massive road development, he said they would be compensated four times more than the market value by issuing TDR bonds. The roads will usher in a new era of development to see the famous pilgrim city emerge a major city in the state after Vizag and Vijayawada with tremendous infrastructure facilities to cope with spiritual city which turned into a knowledge hub, with large number of educational institutions and a 12-lakh population in the next decade, he said beamingly.

An elderly man, Basi Reddy, native of Chitalachenu, Srinivas, a private employee in Karnammitta, Annapoorna a house wife in Old cotton mill area and many others, who spoke to The Hans India in one voice hailed the Corporation and opined that the roads will open a new dawn as per the people of the eastern part of the city.