KARIMNAGAR, JUNE 27, 2026: The Integrated Development of Small and Medium Towns (IDSMT) shopping complex constructed on the premises of old Municipal guest house in the heart of Karimnagar town remained unutilized and inundated with drainage water despite its inauguration on June 5 by Minister for Transport Ponnam Prabhakar and other dignitaries.
The new shopping complex provides updated commercial spaces and amenities, and improved parking spaces. Besides, the dignitaries had also laid the foundation stone for the night food court to boost local business and evening leisure.
Incidentally, the Old Municipal Guest house was demolished and constructed as parking space for people visiting on various modes of transport to the busy Tower Circle business area. However, then, BRS leaders led by then Mayor S Ravinder Singh had decided to develop the iconic Tower Circle area on par with the Golden Temple area in Amritsar under the Smart Cities Mission and declare the area as ‘no vehicle zone’.
As part of the plan, the Municipal authorities announced to transform the heritage Tower structure into a pedestrian-friendly, beautifully lit zones and no vehicle movement in the area. During the execution of the project, the shoppers had to face the woes due to high-rise roads forcing the drainage water to enter their shops and huge footpaths affecting their business, with no parking place in front of their shops.
The existing wide roads at the Tower circle area were converted into narrow causing traffic snarls. As part of declaring a no-vehicle zone, the authorities had spent a huge amount on the installation of traffic barriers at only one place instead of covering the entire Tower circle area. Incidentally, this traffic barrier remains unutilized and is turning into rust.
Without providing a parking place, the Traffic police had imposed heavy e-challans on the vehicle owners for parking the vehicle around Potti Sriramulu statue. To avoid parking woes, the authorities had decided to utilise the Old municipal guest house as a parking lot. However, they are adding additional woes at the said parking lots with the construction of additional shopping complexes and foot courts on the premises.
Instead of declaring the parking place open for the public, the MCK authorities had locked the premises, denying parking of vehicles. The sources said that they had closed the shopping complex as they had not called the tenders for the shops and paid parking on the premises.
However, the people of the town are upset with the MCK authorities for introducing paid parking at the new shopping complex. Already, the MCK had snatched away the Circus ground and Old High School grounds and converted it into park parks. Now, the MCK is planning to introduce paid parking at the IDSMT shopping complex and burden the people of the town.
