Andhra Pradesh wants 14 roads given National Highway status
The state government is unable to allot enough funds for the upkeep of the state highways
Hyderabad: In a proposal to the Centre, the Andhra Pradesh government has requested for upgradation of 14 state highways into National Highways.
The plea comes in the wake of the state’s inability to maintain the state highways stretching over 2,897 km.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, wrote to the Union ministry of road, transport and highways in this connection requesting the Centre to declare the upgradation at the earliest.
The government is not allotting sufficient funds to the roads and building department to maintain these roads.
Under pressure from ministers, MLAs the government transfers local roads from the jurisdiction of panchayats and municipalities to the roads and building department.
In the last five years the number of roads under the department has doubled but the funds have been halved.
If the Centre declares some state roads as National Highways the burden on the department will be reduced.