HYDERABAD: The State government is making all efforts to complete the Strategic Road Development Project (SRDP) on priority to ease traffic congestion in the city, Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) KT Rama Rao said on Monday. He said the GHMC was paying Rs 296 crore towards annual debt servicing for the Rs 5,900 crore loan taken by the GHMC for the project. The Minister said it should be seen as an investment for the future and not as debt. The financial condition of GHMC is in good shape and there is nothing to worry, he added.
The Minister criticised members of the Congress (who were not present in the House), saying that they were claiming that the government was leading the State into a debt trap. He said the government was spending every single rupee taken on loan for creating infrastructure, which is the key to development.
Replying to a question raised by KP Vivekanand, D Sudheer Reddy and others during the question hour on Monday, Rama Rao assured that new proposals from MLAs for laying roads or for other projects in SRDP would be taken up in the second phase of SRDP.
Of the total 46 projects proposed under SRDP, about 22 have been completed and 24 are under progress. The 22 works have been thrown open to traffic. The remaining 24 works (21 by GHMC and three by NHAI and R & B Department) are under various stages of construction, informed the Minister.