Chetak Express: - यार तेरा चेतक पे चले ❤️ - Keshav Saxena

Huge Nizam assets block Metro works
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Properties of the erstwhile Nizam’s Estate are threatening to delay the progress of the Rs 13,000-crore Hyderabad Metro Rail project. Though some of these properties beca-me state-owned after Hyd-erabad was merged with the Indian Union, a large number of properties are still in the hands of private occupants, who have been in residence on the properties for the past several decades.
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are over 300 such properties that are standing in the way of the Metro Rail project. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, which is acquiring the properties for HMR authorities, are finding the acquisition difficult. A majority of the occupants have pattas iss-ued by the erstwhile Nizam government, while others have sale deeds. Some have been staying there for over 80 years now. As per the revenue records, a large number of properties have been shown as government- owned lands. There are over 100 such properties between Musheerabad-Chikkadpally, Sultan Bazaar, Charminar, Shah Ali Banda and Falaknuma stretch; another 50 on Ameerpet-SR Nagar-Erragadda stretch; and over 100 on the Chaderghat-Malakpet section. All these routes are part of the three corridors of Hyderabad Metro Rail, i.e., Miyapur to LB Nagar, Jubilee Bus Station to Falaknuma and Nagole to Shilparamam.
Highly-placed sources said using the Land Acquisition Act to acquire these lands will result in a prolonged legal battle with the occupants. But an out-of-court settlement would mean giving compensation to occupants of government land, as a large number of these lands have been shown as state-owned in Revenue records.
“As per policies, compensation will not be paid for government properties giving way to the Metro Rail project. Land titles have to be clear in all aspects if compensation has to be paid,” said a GHMC official, adding, the delay in acquisition of these lands will result in huge cost escalation in the Metro Rail project. GHMC additional commissioner K. Dhanunjaya Reddy confirmed that there were nearly 300 such properties. “We are negotiating with them, but in many cases, the owners were willing to give up the lands, but their tenants were refusing to vacate. To avoid delay in the project execution, government recently gave permission to acquire such properties by paying ex-gratia, which will not be termed compensation. We are negotiating with the owners and occupants,” Mr Dhanunjaya added.
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Bicycle station to come up at Hi-Tec City
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HYDERABAD: Citizens can expect not just bicycle tracks on city roads in the coming days but also a one-of-a-kind bicycle station that will come up at HiTec City MMTS station in Madhapur by the end of this year. The Hyderabad Metro Rail will develop and fund the project while the Hyderabad bicycling club will maintain it. This two-storied station will have a parking space for 500 bicycles and apart from that it will also have food and beverage counters, washrooms and locker facility for...
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public. Proposed on an area of 1300 sq yards which will be provided by the South Central Railway, this facility will rent out various models of geared and non-geared bicycles to the interested.
B V Manohar, chairman, Hyderabad Bicycling Club said, "This station will cater to three categories of riders. The first one being the working population who will get down at the MMTS station and hire the bicycle to ride it to work and return it after work. The second category will be of those who will come to the area for temporary work and want to hire the bicycle for a few hours. The third category will consist of those who would like to ride the bicycle as a hobby or for fitness in the early hours or late evenings." The cost of hiring the bicycles will be very affordable, he added. The total cost of the project is estimated to be about Rs 1.2 crore.
Speaking about their involvement on this project, N V S Reddy, managing director, Hyderabad Metro Rail said, "This is one of our initiatives as part of corporate social responsibility. This project will not only promote bicycling in a big way but also will encourage environment-friendly commuting.
One of the reasons for planning this station was that the software and IT crowd are very enthusiastic about cycling to work." He informed that they will be involved in setting up of more such bicycle stations in the future.
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Larsen & Toubro told to halt metro works for biodiversity meet
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HYDERABAD: The city's metro rail project has hit yet another roadblock. The government in its mad rush to beautify the city for COP 11 has instructed Larsen & Toubro that is executing the metro rail project, to stop work until the international biodiversity summit is over. But the instruction has caught L&T in a bind. For starters, it has come verbally and makes no mention whatsoever of compensating L&T for the loss it would incur for the days of work lost,...
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that they estimate would be around Rs 300 crore.
The Hyderabad Metro Rail authorities had verbally informed L&T in the first week of August to stop metro work from August 15 to October 19, when COP 11 ends. While L&T has so far not stopped work, officials said on Tuesday that pressure was mounting on them. "The government wants to get away without paying compensation by issuing such oral instructions. This is not fair as we will suffer a huge loss. If they want us to stop work, they must allow us to invoke Force Majeure clause," said a highly placed source in L&T. As per the concession agreement, L&T, the project concessionaire, can invoke Force Majeure clause claiming the compensation if the government issues "official instructions" to stop work. In the absence of a written communication, officials peg their estimated loss for this 60-day break at around Rs 300 crore, estimating that each day's delay is adding Rs 5 crore to the escalating project cost.
Chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy had directed government officials to ensure that metro rail work did not come in the way of the bio-diversity convention to be held in the city from October 1 to 19.
Official denies effect of COP 11 on metro works
The CM had sanctioned Rs 125 crore for city beautification, which includes a plan to upgrade 125-km road corridor from airport to star hotels, constructing 35 new fountains, proper sanitation and remodeling of junctions among others.
But NVS Reddy, managing director of HMRL, played down L&T's concern. He said, "It is not a big deal. If L&T wants us to issue instructions in writing, we are ready to do it. But, it has to be done on a proper forum." Denying the effect of COP 11 on metro project, Reddy said the works would be continuing in other parts of the city in the non-COP areas. "When the works would continue in other parts of the city, where is the question of invoking Force Majeure clause and paying for the loss," he questioned.
However, sources in L&T said the government has asked the company to stop the entire work as the beautification work is being carried out across the city and not just the arterial roads that delegates would be using. They further said that the amount of money the government was spending on beautification in non-COP areas would go waste as L&T would demolish all of it for metro construction work. And if NVS Reddy's claim that metro work would continue in non-COP areas is anything to go by, L&T said it would bulldoze over the beautified stretches even before the convention starts.
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