Model Road Corridors on four major stretches of Hyderabad only after Assembly polls

HYDERABAD: The grandiose plans of Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Limited (HRDCL) to develop four major stretches of road in the city as 'Model Road Corridors' had reportedly nosedived.

It is likely that the proposed four model road corridors costing Rs 1,930 crore covering about 95.07 km would not see the light of the day and has been put in cold storage till early next year. These would be developmental works will be taken up only after the Assembly polls to be held next year, sources said.

The State Government itself asked HRDCL to put the proposed works on hold when HRDCL sought approval from the government to go ahead with works recently as tenders were finalised, sources said. The government felt that development of these major roads is a time consuming process, need laying of common duct system and shifting of utilities of different departments which may come in the way on these important stretches which needs long time, besides the ensuing monsoon could hamper the works causing hardships to the people.

Keeping this in view, the State government wanted HRDCL to put the proposed works on hold till next year.

As a temporary measure, government directed HRDCL to take up restoration works as and when required and full fledged works could be taken up after the Assembly polls.

HRDCL officials said the state government gave administrative sanction in December last year. Of the Rs 1,930 crore, the expenditure has to be met out of with budgetary support of Rs 500 crore for 2017-18 or subsequent years and Rs 1,500 crore had to be raised from banks and financial institutions.

The HRDCL was launched in March last year as a special purpose vehicle for evolving a comprehensive road development plan for important roads and to improve coordination with different departments or agencies concerned to ensure planned development.

The four model road corridors include between State Legislative Assembly and Miyapur (19.80 km, Rs 462 crore), State Assembly to L B Nagar (14 km- Afzalgunj to Aramgarh (9.50 km, Rs 525 crore), Inner Ring Road L B Nagar to Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, Mehidipatnam via Aramghar (26 km, Rs 483 crore) and Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital to L B Nagar via Punjagutta, Tarnaka and Uppal (25.77 km, Rs 460.20 crore).

These stretches, earlier part of two national highways, namely, NH 44 and NH 65, have been de-notified by the Central government.