HYDERABAD:The cash-strapped state government seems to have a cause for cheer as its request to convert 11 state highways into national highways is likely to be approved by the central government soon. The move would transfer the burden of maintaining the roads to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and save the state government an annual expenditure of `100 crore.The Roads and Buildings department sent the proposal about a month ago and received a positive reponse from the Centre.The state government initially proposed handing over 23 roads extending up to 6,500 kilometres. However, it had to prune the list to 11 state highways running up to 2,000 km upon the request of the Union government.According to officials, the Union government had decided to notify 10,000 km road network as national highways in the country and accordingly sought proposals from the states.With the cumulative list sent by the states going up to 50,000 km it had asked for revised lists to keep the road stretch at 10,000 km.National highway status to the 11 state roads will come as a big relief to the state government as the Roads and Buildings department has been spending over `100 crore every year to keep them in a good shape.Roads and Buildings engineer-in-chief Siva Reddy said they were awaiting orders to transfer the 2,000-km stretch of roads to the Union ministry. The status change would not only relieve the state government of their maintenance burden but would also get more central funds for their development and widening, he added * Hyderabad to Srisailam via Atmakur and Nandyala * Kakinada to Suryaraopet via Dwarapudi, Narasaraopet, Jangareddygudem and Khammam * Visakhapatnam to Chintur in Khammam district via Tallapalem, Narsipatnam, Chintapalli, Sileru and Donkarai.* Nirmal to Laksettypet via Khanapur * Tada to Renigunta via Srikalahasti * Penugonda to Hirapur * Sangareddy to Nanded * Anantapur to Raichur * Rayachoti to Angallu * Hyderabad to Bizapur in K’taka via Chevella * Krishnapatnam Port to Gutti via Badvelu, Proddatur Upkeep Cost Repair and patch work* `20,000-50,000 is the amount spent by the R and B department for patch work per one km of black top road with a width of seven metres.* In areas with heavy traffic, it has to take up patch work at regular intervals throughout the years spending crores of rupees.Recarpeting* `20-50 lakh is incurred by the department for relaying one layer of a road up to one kilometre.This is done at least once in three years.
Comments
0 comment