RTI response exposes irregularities in bypass.

Deccan Chronicle:Hyderabad:Monday, February 13, 2012.

The ongoing construction of the Aushapura bypass has been opposed by the locals and the civil society organisation, who contend that the authorities have ignored the approved alignment with the National Highway 202 Hyderabad-Warangal section and have instead taken an option that poses serious threat of accidents. While the NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) approved a different smoother alignment over a three-kilometre stretch, the ongoing construction is of a steep bypass of one kilometre stretch only. Interestingly, though the NHAI in an RTI reply has accepted that the earlier alignment was approved and not the new one, there has been no attempt to stop the work. While the locals have been objecting to the construction, it is going on under police protection. “Surprisingly, the approved proposal was overlooked by the project director, Mr Ravindra Rao, and the existing one has three dangerous curves and was not at all considered or approved by the authorities. The decision is malafide, only to help realtors or other monetary considerations. It is detrimental to road safety and free flow of traffic,” said president of Aushapur Welfare Society, K. Ch. Venkata Reddy. “These irregularities have been brought to the notice of higher authorities including CBI, Central Vigilance Commi-ssion, collector, district magistrate and commissioner of police, but to no avail,” added Mr Reddy.