Centre will have to end contract by paying damages.
Hyderabad: Union surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari has assured that the Rajiv Rahadari that connects Hyderabad and Ramagundam via Gajwel, Siddipet and Karimnagar will be converted into national highway.
This can be done only after terminating the existing contract by paying compensation, Mr Gadkari told Karimnagar MP B. Vinod Kumar during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Mr Gadkari denied the accusation of Mr Vinod Kumar and said there was no discrimination on part of the Centre in taking up work between Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh.
Mr Gadkari said work on the Rajiv Rahadari had been already taken up under Build Operate and Transfer contract by a private operator for a period of 12 years. If the contract is to be terminated, the government will have to provide compensation as per the policy which is being prepared by National Highway Authority of India.
He said the policy of compensation would be fixed within 15 days and the government would ta-ke a decision thereafter.
Earlier, Mr Vinod Kumar the erstwhile government of undivided AP and the Centre had neglected taking up national highway projects in Telangana. He said after Mr Gadkari came to the ministry, a nu-mber of projects and initiatives had been taken up.
He said the state government would come up with a detailed project report on the conversion of the Rajiv Rahadari into a national highway and the Centre should take up the project immediately in view of the heavy traffic on the road. He said the 240-km highway and 60 on a stretch of 82 km.
