TRS mega rally Pragathi Nivedana leaves behind a trail of damage

HYDERABAD: A day after the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi party conducted its massive public meeting Pragathi Nivedana Sabha at Kongarakalan village in outskirts of Hyderabad, Express visited the area and found that there are damages left to be rectified. While the authorities were yet to re-install dismantled steel barricades along the ORR, the open lands surrounding the venue was found strewn with plastic waste. 

On Monday, when Express visited the spot, it was found that the barricades, which were removed to facilitate arrival of vehicles to the venue, were replaced just temporarily. They were not permanently grounded. At one point, a mound of mud that was dumped to develop the ramp covered the entire service road, making the ride difficult for motorists. 

Speaking to Express, an official of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) said that the TRS party obtained permission “verbally” and no written permission was sought for the dismantling of steel barricades. The official said, “The party requested us verbally to remove the barricades at a few points identified by them. The barricades are sunk into concrete in the ground, so we had to cut them from the base to be removed. We will be fixing them again.” 

Officials of HMDA along with officials of the private agency which laid the road will inspect the stretch of road on Monday, where the barricades have been removed and will assess damages.

Following this, HMDA will prepare a report on it and submit TRS party bills for the expenses that will be incurred on repairs. The steel barricades were removed at least at 5-6 points along the stretch of the ORR close to Kongara Kalan, a village located near Adibatla, for building ramps using mud to connect ORR with the service road running parallel to it.  

Also, at some points where the steel barricade was removed, some dismantled roadside signboards were also observed lying along the service road. Moreover, mud dumped for creating the ramps connecting ORR with the service road was found to be completely covering the stormwater drain that runs along the ORR. 

Huge amount of plastic waste left behind 

IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao claimed on Twitter on Monday that as assured to the High Court, the venue of Sabha was cleaned up by TRS party volunteers and workers. However, when Express visited the spot, it was observed that only the exact location in Kongarakalan village where the meeting was conducted was cleaned up and not the huge open lands used by participants of the public meeting for parking their vehicles.

As we assured the High Court, the premises of the #PragathiNivedanaSabha have been cleaned up by our party volunteers & workers pic.twitter.com/4AlVwv3o2Y

— KTR (@KTRTRS) September 3, 2018

These lands gleamed with plastic waste strewn all over.  

For all the talks by state of making city plastic free, the TRS party does not seem to walk the talk when it comes to its own events. It was observed that plastic glasses, plastic water pouches, plastic plates and boxes of liquor bottles were lying strewn all across huge open lands.