BRS alleges Narsingi road alignment changed to benefit builder, favour CM’s daughter’s school

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has accused the Congress government of changing the alignment of a 100-feet road in Narsingi to benefit a private builder, putting 4,000 families living in 2,000 apartments at risk.

BRS Deputy Floor Leader T Harish Rao, former Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy and other party leaders met residents of Seven Hills, Western Meadows and other colonies in the area on Saturday. A 100-feet road was approved in the area in 2013. However, the original alignment required the road to pass through a hillock, affecting a 400-year-old Hanuman temple located atop it.

After the BRS came to power, local residents brought the issue to the notice of then Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy. She immediately took it up with then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.

In 2018, the BRS government issued a new gazette, GO No. 181, retaining the road alignment with minor deviations to protect the temple. The BRS government made the changes in the public interest. It saved a historic temple without affecting any household or taking away even an inch of land, Harish Rao said.

In contrast, the Revanth Reddy government is putting 4,000 families living in 2,000 apartments at risk to benefit a builder, he alleged. Road-widening marks were fixed outside their homes just before Dasara, he added.

Seven Hills was developed by 1,553 Central government employees, who have been living there for the past 17 years. Red marks have been extended by 10 metres on one side and by seven metres on the other. According to the road-widening markings, the cellar, temple, walking track, cellar parking and even the pillars of the buildings would be affected.

“If not for the builder’s influence and benefit, how can a GO issued on January 7 be replaced by another gazette overnight?” Harish Rao asked.

Dr Nandagopal, a resident of Western Meadows, explained that the changes were allegedly being made to facilitate a corporate school for Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s daughter and high-rise buildings planned by RR Realty.

The former Minister said RR Realty had found that the original 100-feet road alignment affected its venture and had consequently secured a change in the alignment. The builder also required access to a 100-feet road for its newly acquired land to construct high-rise buildings. As a result, the revised alignment would lead to the demolition of 10 apartments, he said.

“To build apartments for one private venture, all these apartments are being demolished. Similarly, another school is being demolished to construct the Chief Minister’s daughter’s school. Is this justified?” Harish Rao asked.

He further claimed that the 100-feet road alignment issue was deliberately concealed and the land was auctioned for Rs 47,000 per square yard, against a market price of nearly Rs 2 lakh.

“A government is meant to work for the welfare of people, not for one builder and one contractor,” he said.

Harish Rao alleged that the government had violated the prescribed procedure for changing the master plan and issuing a new gazette. As per the rules, a newspaper notification must be issued and a public hearing conducted before such changes are made. He also said officials were refusing to meet residents to discuss their concerns and resolve the issue. They were not even accepting their representations, citing political involvement, he alleged.

Residents of a nearby double-bedroom housing colony built by the BRS government were also facing difficulties, Harish Rao said. The builder had allegedly blocked the 100-feet road connecting the colony to the main road overnight. As a result, residents were forced to take a detour of one kilometre.

He recalled a similar incident in Hydershakote during the previous Deepavali, when red marks were placed on houses. After residents approached Telangana Bhavan, the BRS warned the government against demolitions. Revanth Reddy subsequently backed down and changed the plan, he said.

Harish Rao assured residents that the BRS would work with colony presidents, secretaries and a retired judge to determine the legal course of action.

“In this case, too, we will sit with the colony presidents, the secretaries and the retired judge here and work out the legal course. We will fight until this 2026 gazette is cancelled,” he assured residents.