Development work gets delayed due to land non-availability in Warangal

Warangal Urban: Non-availability of suitable land has hit infrastructure development in Warangal city. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, during his visit to the city on January 2015, had promised to construct modern vegetable, fruit, fish and meat markets, community halls, and graveyards as a part of ‘Plan our Warangal’ programme.

Subsequently, Rs 283.49 crore special funds were sanctioned to Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) by the State government to take up development works.

However, the civic body has not taken up the development of markets or function halls or graveyards citing non-availability of land. Due to this, the GWMC is yet to call for tenders for the development works.

Though land is available in some areas, it has been marked as ‘park land’ making things difficult for civic body authorities as permanent structures cannot be taken up at the designated ‘park land’ as per the Apex court orders.

Although land is available in the city with other government departments such as Marketing, the GWMC has not made any attempt to acquire such land. For instance, the land of old grain market at Laxmipuarm in the city can be taken by the GWMC to construct a model vegetable and fruit market.

“GWMC has to write to the Marketing Department to take possession of the land. But no attempt in this regard has been made,” a corporator told ‘Telangana Today’.

Since the officials were looking for 800 to 1,000 square yards of land for the purpose, they were unable to find suitable land. “However, we can take up the structures in vertical manner instead of planning the buildings horizontally,” said a senior official.