Backward Districts to Get Priority in Road Works, Says Venkat Reddy

Hyderabad: Roads and buildings (R&B) minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Monday said that backward districts which were grossly neglected during the previous BRS regime would be given top priority in road development works under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). He made it clear that these districts would be the first to benefit as the government has decided to prepare final HAM proposals district-wise.

During a review meeting with senior officials of the R&B department here on Monday, Venkat Reddy said there would be no additional financial burden as new land acquisition was not required for HAM roads.

Stressing that roads with heavy traffic would get higher priority, he directed officials to include stretches above 10 km and design them as connectivity corridors to boost socio-economic activity in rural Telangana.

The minister explained that the HAM programme would cover single-lane roads upgraded to double lanes, double-lane roads widened to paved shoulders of 10 metres, and some high-traffic stretches converted into four-lane roads. Nearly 4,000 km of roads would be renewed under this initiative. Alongside creation of new infrastructure, old roads would be strengthened and better maintained, he said.

Venkat Reddy also stated that he would request Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to immediately release Rs 100 crore for urgent repairs of roads, which were badly damaged by recent heavy rains. He directed chief engineer Mohan Nayak to collect complete details from the field on the status of rain-affected roads.

On infrastructure projects, the minister said the R&B department had set a target to complete the construction of the new High Court complex and Osmania General Hospital, along with other major buildings, within the next two years.

With regard to the Hyderabad Regional Ring Road (north part), Venkat Reddy instructed officials to ensure that compensation amounts for land oustees were deposited in their bank accounts without delay.