TIRUPATI: The Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) has evolved a new master plan to develop a network of roads in northern and southern areas of the city for decongesting Tirupati, which is currently choked with vehicular traffic.
The municipal council has identified 15 roads as part of the master plan. In fact, their extension and development had been planned a decade ago. But the plan could not be implemented. However, the existing municipal council led by mayor Dr R. Sireesha and deputy mayor Bhumana Abhinay Reddy have prioritised them. An ordinance too has been passed to make the road network a reality.
Under the plan, the Tirupati Urban Development Authority (Tuda) will take up three roads. The municipal council will build the other 12 roads of 8.2-km length at a cost of ₹30 crore. The roads being developed include:
Korlagunta (40 feet road; 0.7 km), Gollavanigunta (60 feet; 1.2 km), Akkarampalli (feet; 0.56 km), DMart-Karakambadi (60 feet; 0.5 km), HP Petrol Bunk-Karakambadi (60 feet; 0.5 km), behind Brindavan Apartment (80 feet;1.5 km), Konkachennaiahgunta (100 feet; 2 km), Thimminaidupalem-Cotton Mill (80 feet; 2 km), Poolavanigunta (80 feet; 1 km), opposite Brindavan Apartment (60 feet; 0.5 km), Ankura Hospital (60 feet; 0.4 km), Chintalachenu-MS Subbalakshmi Statue (80 feet; 1.2 km), HH Showroom (60 feet; 1.5 km), Gangamma Temple (60 feet; 0.84 km) and Seethamma Satralu (100 feet; 1 km).
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, deputy mayor Bhumana Abhinay Reddy, who is moving ahead quickly with the road network plan, said the MCT drive is workable and will decongest the city. The master plan will encourage construction and real-estate activities on about 3,500 acres of land in the city, thereby positively impacting the city's economy and increasing money flow.
"The vast stretches of lands lying unused for long in east and south of the city will come into use. Most of these lands have been acquired by lower and middle-income groups. They have not seen development owing to poor road access. Now that construction of the road network has begun, the value of land along the new roads has doubled. This increase will benefit lower and middle-income groups and contribute to temple city’s economy," Abhinay Reddy said.
The municipal corporation has chosen the transferable development rights (TDR) approach for acquiring lands or buildings in order to implement the master plan in a seamless and timely manner.
"Land acquisition is time-consuming and prone to legal challenges. As a result, we have chosen the TDR route, which is proving effective in acquiring necessary lands and structures without any delays or difficulties. MCT is issuing TDR bonds to the displaced. Significantly, the compensation provided to land / building owners is over four times the market value,” the deputy mayor pointed out.
