HYDERABAD: Skywalk hurdle removed, Defense Ministry gives 3.3 thousand square yards of land to Telangana

Hyderabad: With the Defense Ministry agreeing to transfer a part of its land to HMDA, work on the incomplete skywalk near Rythu Bazaar at the busy Mehdipatnam Junction is set to resume soon. The central government on Wednesday approved the allotment of land required for the construction of the skywalk. A total of 3,380 square yards of land will be transferred to the state government within the next four weeks. In exchange for the land transfer, the state government is obliged to provide infrastructure worth `15.15 crore and pay license fees for the location for 10 years. Sources said the land transfer matter was discussed during Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s meeting with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on January 5. The Union Minister had responded positively to the need to transfer a portion of defense land to complete the project. The State Government made adjustments in the design of the skywalk as per the suggestions of the Central Government, so that there is no disruption to the defense area at Mehdipatnam. The revised proposals were sent to the Center recently and were approved on Wednesday. Upon assuming charge as Chief Minister, Revanth prioritized measures to reduce traffic congestion in the city and directed HMDA officials to expedite the construction of the skywalk. Efforts by the former BRS government to acquire 0.51 acres of defense land were unsuccessful, as the Central government did not respond to the state’s petition at that time. This led to the construction of the skywalk being halted, leading to increased traffic problems in the Mehdipatnam Rythu Bazaar area. Officials told TNIE that about 35% of the skywalk has been completed so far. With the approval of the Defense Ministry, the remaining work is expected to be completed in four to five months. Construction activities will take place mostly during night time. The proposed skywalk will run along the PVNR Expressway, with military land on one side and commercial buildings on the other.