Telangana CM-Gadkari meet removes bumps on RRR construction
HYDERABAD : The obstacles to notifying the southern part of the Regional Ring Road (RRR), the 182-km stretch between Choutuppal, Amangal, Shadnagar and Sangareddy as a national highway were cleared on Tuesday after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari at his camp office in Delhi.
The northern part of RRR has already been notified as a national highway by the Union government.
Revanth was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and R&B Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. The discussion between the delegation from Telangana and Gadkari on the subject of the creation of infrastructural development lasted over three hours.
Following the meeting, Gadkari directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to send proposals for declaring the southern part of RRR as a national highway, based on the request from Revanth.
Revanth also requested the Union minister to accord permission for the upgradation of national highways. He also gave a representation enlisting the roads to be upgraded while stressing the significance of the upgrade.
CM to Gadkari: Convert 14 state roads into NHs
During the meeting, the delegation and the Union minister discussed the deadlock between the state and Centre over the sharing of expenditure on the removal of utilities such as electricity poles and buildings, especially in the northern part of RRR — the stretch between Choutuppal, Bhongir, Toopran, Sangareddy and Kandi.
The previous BRS government hadn’t agreed to the proposal that the state government bear the cost of removal of utilities. However, after Revanth assumed charge, the state government agreed to bear the costs.
When the chief minister raised this issue before Gadkari, the Union minister enquired with his officials and expressed his disappointment with them for involving the state government in the removal of utilities.
Gadkari noted that in case the state government bears the cost of the removal of utilities, then Telangana would be eligible to get half of the toll revenue and assured the delegation that the Centre would bear the expenses for the removal of utilities. Gadkari also asked the chief minister to expedite land acquisition for completion of the RRR. He also advised Revanth to send proposals for the Construction of Rural Infrastructure Fund.
During the discussion, the chief minister requested Gadkari to upgrade the national highway between Hyderabad and Vijayawada to a six-lane highway, and the Hyderabad to Kalvakurthi route to a four-lane highway. The Union minister positively responded to the requests of the delegation, a release from the CMO said.
The chief minister also requested Gadkari to convert 14 other routes in the state, including the Marikal-Narayanpet-Rayasamudra, Peddapalli-Kataram, Pullur-
Alampur-Jataprolu-Pentapalli-Kollapur-Lingal-Acchampet-Dindi-Mallepalli-Nalgonda, Wanaparthy-Kothakota-Gadwal-Mantralayam, Manneguda-Vikarabad-Tandur-Zaheerabad-Bidar, Karim nagar-Sircilla-Kamareddy-Ellareddy-Pitlam, Erravelli-Gadwal-Raichur roads, into national highways.
Later in the day, Revanth and Vikramarka called on AICC general secretary KC Venugopal at his residence. The duo is understood to have discussed Cabinet expansion and nominated posts. The government is likely to appoint around 15 corporation chairpersons after the high command gives its nod.