Nearly 3,000 families will be displaced from their homes in two weeks because of the Gre ater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation's Rs 600- crore road widening scheme. GHMC has decided to develop 42 main routes in 12 surrounding municipalities, which were merged with the core city to form Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

Of the proposed plans, works on 13 roads will commence in a fortnight, GHMC officials told this correspondent. The minimum width of each road proposed is 60 feet compared to the existing width of 25 feet. GHMC also plans to widen the roads up to 250 feet on some routes such as Kukatpally ‘Y' junction to Kukatpally circle limit and National Highway 202 from Nalla Cheruvu to TV Studio at Ramanthapur.

But, senior officials said the plan will materialise only if pri vate properties are taken over. However, not all the property owners are willing to part with their properties for road widening. "There is no need to widen this road for another 10 years. Traffic is not heavy on this route. Besides, there is an alternate route also for motorists," said Mr G. Seetharama Rao, an advocate and resident of Chilakanagar in Uppal.

"Probably this is the price we have to pay for becoming citizens of Greater city. We never thought that road widening will be taken up so soon in erstwhile municipality limits. We are planning to form an association to negotiate with officials for a better deal," said residents of Radhika Colony.

Several other owners said sufficient time had not been given to respond to the notices served. "Not all of us have received notices. We will move the court to protect our properties," local Telugu Desam leader, Mr V. Subba Rao, a resident of Hemanagar told this correspondent. Six roads in Kapra, five in Qutbullapur, four each in Uppal, Kukatpally and Patancheru-Ramachandrapuram, three each in Alwal,Gaddiannaram, LB Nagar, Malkajgiri, Rajendernagar and Serilingampally north and Serilingampally south have to be widened