Two apartments remain vacant for a decade due to location problems
Apartment left unoccupied for a decade at Rail Vihar, Nallpadu in Guntur. (Inset) An abandoned flat filled with files. (Photo: DC)
GUNTUR: Railway quarters at two apartments which were constructed almost a decade ago at Nallapadu near Guntur still remain unoccupied.
The two four-storied apartments with well-laid road connectivity, consisting of 32 two BHK flats were constructed to house the Group III employees of railways.
South Central Mazdoor Union Guntur unit secretary Y. Hanumantha Rao blamed the authorities for constructing these quarters at such a remote area that people were reluctant to reside there. Mr Hanumantha Rao said that living conditions at the quarters were not such that people would occupy them. He added that the railway authorities have failed to provide water, power, transport and other basic amenities which were essential for any residential area.
Speaking more about the lack of basic facilities at the apartments, Mr Hanumantha Rao said that the flats remained unoccupied as the authorities failed to provide proper security measures. He added that lack of educational institutions near the apartments was another reason for the flats remaining vacant. “We could not find even a single person living within a radius of 2 km from the apartments,” Mr Hanumantha Rao said. He blamed that despite knowing all these facts, the then railway officials constructed these buildings.
The railway authorities not only left these quarters as unused assets, but also went ahead with constructing new buildings near Guntur Railway Station at an estimated cost of more than '1 crore.
Meanwhile, K. Raghava Rao, Ch. Rambabu and other residents at Nallapadu are highly apprehensive about these buildings turning into a hotspot for antisocial elements.
Locals blame authority
Locals residing in the nearby areas blame the railway officials for constructing buildings at the cost of pubic exchequer and leaving them as unused assets. They accused the authorities of being involved in corruption and constructing the buildings against objections of employees.
M. Subbarao, a resident of Syamalanagar, said that the railway officials concerned should not have constructed the buildings back in 2005, as the employees union had expressed displeasure over the location of the quarters before the construction started.
Meanwhile, citizens have suggested the authorities to give the buildings to state government, which is in dire need for buildings since it is shifting some of the secretariat wings to Guntur.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
Next Story
