Old Alwal locals stage protest over traffic congestion and internet disruptions linked to TCS iON exam Centre

Fed up with frequent traffic jams, disruption of internet services and severe inconvenience to the residents of colonies, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Old Alwal Colonies Residents Association staged a dharna in front of the TCS iON exam centre on the Old Alwal-Suchitra road near Father Balaiah Nagar on Sunday (January 25, 2026).

Members of the JAC comprising owners and residents of Father Balaiah Nagar Phase 1 & 2, Retreat Colony, Tirumala Enclave Phase 1 & 2, Venkataramana Colony, Chandrapuri Colony, Mahalaxmi’s Sai Srinivasam Apartment and Om Sri Sai Nagar and the businessmen of the area gathered at the TCS iON examination centre and staged a rasta-roko for some time.

Carrying placards and raising slogans against the severe disruption of normal life whenever the online examinations are conducted, M. Srinivas Reddy, Convenor of the JAC of eight residential colonies told The Hindu on Sunday (January 25, 2026) that TCS iON examination centre facilitates 1,000-1,500 students to take online examination at any given point of time.

“The day examinations are scheduled, the centre installs jammers that results in the phones not working, internet connectivity getting disrupted, people working from home are badly hit and those in need of medical emergency can not make calls or get the ambulances to shift the needy patients,” he said.

Adding to this, is the haphazard manner in which dozens of four-wheelers are parked on the road, lanes and bylanes of the colonies. “Vehicles are parked in front of the houses making it very difficult for us to take out our vehicles,” locals said adding that the commercial-cum-residential complex situated on the main road is actually not supposed to run an examination centre in the residential part.

The JAC representatives stated that numerous complaints had been given to the concerned authorities to look into the issue but to no avail. Mr. Srinivas Reddy pointed out that 75 petitions were submitted to the Prajavani in the last 10 days but nothing has been done. Committee of Father Balaiah Nagar Resident Welfare Association petitioned as many as 14 different institutions for remedy on December 15, 2024. Interestingly, the SI of Alwal Traffic police station had lodged a complaint about the traffic issue on April 17, 2024.

“We have escalated the issue to NHRC, SHRC, TCS Global heads, police and GHMC,” he said pointing out that the response so far has been very disappointing. He said the TCS centre representatives have promised to vacate the premise but it still continues to function.

Mr. B. Sudarshan Reddy, President of Retreat Colony Welfare Association said an FIR had been filed against the centre but no action has been taken so far. “We are forced to put up banners to prevent unregulated movement of vehicles inside the colony. But, the people are forcing their way into the colony and parking their cars and sometimes picking up argument with the owners,” he noted.

Mr. Devakonda Rajeshwar Rao,resident of Sai Srinivasam Apartment said traffic goes for a toss from 7.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. whenever examinations are on. “By installing jammers, there are frequenting call drops and missed calls. How can we handle a medical emergency when the jammers are on. There is no way, we can make calls,” he bemoaned.

The JAC has threatened to intensify their protest, if the authorities failed to redress the issue immediately.