Revanth to Launch Telangana's Biggest Road Works Today
₹19,300 cr to upgrade 13,541 km of roads
Hyderabad: The state government is set to roll out its biggest-ever road infrastructure programme, with an investment of ₹19,300 crore for the reconstruction and upgradation of 13,541 km of roads and buildings (R&B) and panchayat raj roads across the state under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will formally launch the works at a public meeting in Nalgonda on Sunday.
The ambitious programme, covering 96 Assembly constituencies, aims to restore badly damaged roads, construct new stretches and upgrade existing infrastructure, including rural roads, single-lane and double-lane roads, and four-lane roads connecting district headquarters. The government has directed the executing agencies to complete the works within 30 months. Thereafter, the contractors will be responsible for maintaining the roads for 15 years, ensuring long-term upkeep and sparing motorists the recurring problem of pothole-ridden roads.
The initiative comes after years of deteriorating road conditions across the state. Roads under both the R&B and panchayat raj departments have suffered extensive damage due to inadequate maintenance. Successive years of heavy rains and floods have washed away several bituminous roads and bridges. Districts including the erstwhile Nizamabad, Khammam, Medak and Warangal witnessed severe damage during last year’s monsoon.
Although temporary repairs were taken up, permanent restoration could not be carried out due to lack of funds. Rural roads have been in an even worse condition, with many villages becoming inaccessible to autorickshaws, two-wheelers and even ambulances during the rainy season, triggering widespread public complaints and demands for new roads.
Roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said the R&B department would improve 441 roads across 32 districts at a cost of ₹13,006 crore, divided into 34 packages. The panchayat raj department will execute works on 2,162 roads covering 7,449.50 km at a cost of ₹6,294.81 crore through 17 packages. Together, both departments will simultaneously execute road works worth ₹19,300 crore, making it one of the largest infrastructure programmes undertaken by the state.
Under HAM, the government pays 40 per cent of the project cost during construction in instalments, while the private developer invests the remaining 60 per cent. The developer maintains the road for 15 years, and the government repays the 60 per cent as annuities, along with interest.
The government will release a 10 per cent mobilisation advance to contractors to facilitate commencement of works. Accordingly, the R&B department will provide about ₹1,300 crore, while the panchayat raj department will release around ₹630 crore from budgetary allocations. Of this mobilisation advance, five per cent will be released after contractors secure bank loans for the projects and the remaining five per cent after the works begin, enabling faster execution of the road network across Telangana.
