HMR: Still locked in land niggles

The Hyderabad Metro Rail project is still to overcome its starting problems. It is facing a gargantuan problem of land acquisition. Though the state government has constituted a special committee to negotiate with property owners and authorized it to offer attractive package, progress has been very slow. The main opposition to land acquisition is coming from traders who hold leases on properties in Sultan Bazar and Badi Chowdi which fall along the alignment of the Corridor II of the project, running from Jubilee Bus Station to Falaknuma. To speed up land acquisition, the government set up a committee comprising the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) additional commissioner (development planning) K Dhananjaya Reddy, deputy collector for land acquisition, the executive engineer of the respective corridor and the Hyderabad Metro Rail general manager for land management. “There are no issues or objections from owners of property located in Sultan Bazar and Badi Chowdi,” said an official who is handling the issue. “Only those who hold properties under lease are making objections.” The land acquisition panel is holding talks with these lease holders but there has been no breakthrough yet. So far, the panel has issued the consent award for some 350-400 properties. Notice of acquisition has been issued for 300 properties. For the remainder of properties to be acquired, GHMC is in the process of publishing draft notification. This process would be completed in three to four weeks. Hyderabad Metro Rail officials say land acquisition was never going to be an easy process as land owners demand compensation much higher than the best package on offer. The process is likely to take at least about five to six months more. Of the 269 acres required for the HMR project, 65 acres are government land. Of the 204 acres of private land to be acquired, 104 acres in Miyapur are subject of litigation over ownership. The committee has offered to deposit money in the court till such time as the ownership rights are established. The state government has authorized the committee to offer a liberal package to land owners affected by the project. The committee is offering `45,000 per sq m for those who are going to lose more than 50 per cent of their land. A relief and rehab (R&R) package has been formulated comprising alternative complexes at Putli Bowli for the traders of Sultan Bazaar and Badi Chowdi.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com