ORR hits land ceiling block

Express News Service
Hyderabad, April 4
THE prestigious 162-km Outer Ring Road (ORR) project, being implemented in two phases, is facing another hurdle in the form of getting exemption from the Urban Land Ceiling Act.
The Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA), which is executing the project, could not acquire about 1,000 acres falling within the limits of the Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration (HUA) for the last one year. This land is coming into the alignment of the project.
The HUDA has stated that exemption from the purview of the ULC Act was necessary to acquire the land by duly paying the compensation to the land owners.
The Municipal Administration department has urged the Revenue department for their concurrence in this regard, but the matter has been held up for want of the inquiry report from the one-man commission headed by Justice
(retired) I Panduranga Rao which is looking into the issue of alleged favouritism in giving exemptions to certain societies and individuals under ULC Act since 2002.
``The MAUD department officials have requested the State Government to exempt the lands coming in the Right of Way of the ORR from the ULC Act as done in the case of certain land acquisitions by HUDA in 1981 through GO Ms 552 and the State Government's decision is awaited,'' a source said.
According to official sources, ORR is a fast-track project and the State Government has instructed HUDA to complete it within two years. But land acquisition is one of the major bottlenecks being faced by the authorities
in expediting the project.
The project officials approached the special officer and competent authority of HUDA seeking early clearance of the said land but they were informed that the process was still in initial stages.
``The compensation for land acquisition has to be deposited in a civil court under Section 30 and 31 of the Land Acquisition Act but only after they are free from any litigation. This means no compensation can be paid to
the land owners unless the lands are freed from the ULC purview,'' sources told City Express.
HUDA officials are facing a lot of resistance from the land owners in view of non-payment of compensation. ``Losing property but not getting any compensation will naturally result in heartburn among the land owners,''
sources said.
The ORR is an important infrastructure initiative in the Hyderabad Metro region undertaken by HUDA to provide connectivity to various State and national highways. It is also expected to facilitate intra and inter-city
traffic in view of the rapid urbanisation.