Tirupati: After weeks of intense discussions and protests, the controversy surrounding the proposed master plan roads through Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) here has ended and a consensus arrived at.
The municipal council announced that a revised proposal approved by parties, student unions and university employees has won approval from all sides.
The original plan, which sought to build three master plan roads across SVU campus, led to resistance from various quarters. The city administration reviewed the plan and opted to construct only two roads.
Deputy mayor Abhinay Reddy, the brain behind the master plan road network, initiated a dialogue and addressed the concerns among the stakeholders. "We held talks with party leaders, students and employee unions and promised minimum disruption to the university’s functioning. Their approval and support from the municipal council helped in resolving the issue," Abhinay stated.
As per the revised plan, the two roads would be laid on opposite ends of the campus so that the academic and administrative activities would not suffer. The first road will be laid between SV University and SV Arts College without touching the university land, but connecting SVU road and Zoo Park road.
The second road will connect Gate 5 to the farthest point of SVU campus. It would pass through the staff quarters, NCC Nagar and join the Zoo Park road without disturbance to the varsity grounds.
The municipal corporation promised funding for construction of buildings as some offices would need to be relocated to accommodate the new roads. "During our discussions, we pledged to address the university’s concerns and promised to enhance drinking water supply, improve the green spaces etc. We will allocate civic funds for these and facilitate the city's development without any hitch to the university's functioning," the deputy mayor said.
