Three Govts, three CMs failed to complete ₹35 crore 700-metre road bridge in 15 years
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The unfinished bridge is forcing people to travel 4 Kms to reach the other side of the town while collapsing the businesses, in Ghatkesar in Medchal Malkajgiri district. | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
A 700-metre road-cum-rail bridge that was conceived to connect Ghatkesar and Keesara, and reduce the traffic jams due to railway gate closure, has remained incomplete for 15 years, turning what should have been a short commute into a four-km detour for residents.
The irony is that Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy represented the area as a Member of Parliament before he became the Chief Minister. Ch Malla Reddy, who served as a Minister in the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, represented the area for three terms as an MP and MLA. Yet, the bridge continues to remain a work in progress.
The project is located just outside Hyderabad, in an area that has witnessed rapid urbanisation and transformed from a village panchayat into part of the city in these 15 years.
The Ghatkesar rail-cum-road bridge is a striking example of how administrative apathy, political differences, land acquisition disputes, funding constraints, and, above all, alleged contractor negligence can hold up even a relatively modest infrastructure project.
The JAC of all parties in Ghatkesar in Medchal Malkajgiri district taking out a rally during a bandh demanding the completion of the road bridge going on for 15 years.
Estimated to cost around Rs 35 crore, the project has been languishing despite the completion of the railway component nearly a decade ago.
The project dates back to 2012, when the government issued the land acquisition notification and the then Chief Minister, N Kiran Kumar Reddy, laid the foundation stone. Work delays and compensation issues have haunted the project since then, says Rapolu Venkateshwarlu, who runs the Hema Medical Store on the main road.
While the State government’s portion of the work struggled to move forward, the Railways completed the bridge structure over the railway tracks a decade ago, recalls Kummari Venkateshwarlu, who runs a kirana shop.
The unfinished bridge has effectively split the town into two parts. Residents who need to reach the other side, located barely 50 metres away, are forced to travel nearly four km by road, says Sara Srinivas Goud, a resident.
The project also underwent changes in its original design. The proposed Y-shaped bridge was subsequently altered into an L-shaped structure, reportedly due to political considerations.
Frustrated by the prolonged delay, residents went on an agitation several times, with the latest being a bandh that received a huge response, with businesses closing willingly. An all-party Joint Action Committee (JAC), which has been leading the protests, has warned to close the Hyderabad-Warangal highway if the government doesn’t respond.
For a project costing around Rs 35 crore, the 15-year wait has raised questions about accountability and the government’s ability to complete critical local infrastructure. “Aren’t three governments and three Chief Ministers enough to complete this small project”, asks the all party Joint Action Committee.
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