Hyderabad: Union shipping, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari accepted Telangana government’s plea for up gradation of 1,018 km of state highways into national highways, sanction of new roads, six lane roads in Hyderabad among others.
He gave this assurance to roads and buildings Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao who called on him in New Delhi on Monday and submitted as many as 10 letters in this regard.
Peeved at the sanction of 700 km of road to neighbouring AP recently, Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao sent Nageswara Rao with 10-odd requests to Gadkari.
“He positively responded to the state’s request to sanction 1,000 kms to 1,500 km of national highways, new roads, development of existing network of roads and release of funds,” Mr Nageswara Rao said.
The TS government sought improvement of NH 44 in northern and southern side of Hyderabad city from Bowenpally to Kompally by converting it to six lanes from the present four lanes and also Aramgarh to Shamshabad which were constructed seven years ago.
It requested conversion of state highways into national highways of roads like Hyderabad-Narasapur-Medak, Yellareddy-Banswada-Bodhan, Basar and Bhaisa road connecting NH 61 over 230 kms, Hyderabad-Bijapur road via Moinbad, Chevella, Munneguda, Kodangal up to Karnataka border over 133 km, among others.
Kodad, Miryalguda, Deverkonda, Kalwakurthy, Jadcherla nearly 220 km, Nirmal-Jagtiyal, Khanapur, Mallapur, Raikal connecting national highway No 61stretching to 110 km, Ashwaraopet, Khammam, Suryapet - 160 kms, Karimnagar, Sircilla, Kamareddy, Yellareddy, Pitlam - 165 km to be converted as national highways totalling 1,018 kms. “National highway density per 100 sq km of area in TS is 2.25 against 1.06 to 4.2 in neighbouring states,” he said.
Other proposals submitted include widening and strengthening of NH 167 from Jadcherla to Deverakadra in Mahbubnagar district, sanction of funds for relaying Miyapur to Sangareddy road, sanction of Rs 300 crore each during the financial years 2015-16 and 2016-17 for improvement of roads and bridges under Central Road Fund, extension of NH 563 upto Khammam to meet NH 365.
The government also sought funds for building a road corridor along Godavari and Pranahita Rivers with bridges to improve connectivity between Telangana, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, sanction of Rs 2,741.65 crore for roads in four Naxal affected districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam, immediate sanction of Rs 1,290 crore under prioritised list of 26 works, sanction of 17 stretches of roads to be developed for providing national highway connectivity in backward area, religious, tourist places totalling 557 kms at a cost of Rs 557 crore.
