Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today stated that Telangana was becoming number one State in South India for building national highways.
Giving a statement on national highways and expansion in winter session of Assembly here on Friday, KCR claimed that the TRS Government has achieved in just two-and-a-half years which was not possible in 70 years. He also said the Centre has agreed to construct another ring road outside the Outer Ring Road (ORR) which was not sufficient to cater to the present needs. The total stretch of national highways will be 5303 km with Centre allocating 2776 km to the State, KCR stated.
When compared to Andhra region, there was a lot of disparity in Telangana in national highways and now we emerged victorious in convincing the Centre in this regard with funds and it is a good turn towards achieving the goal of golden Telangana, he claimed. Now TS surpassed the national average in highways, he said. Now Telangana with 4.62 km national highways ratio surpassed national highways ratio in India which is 3.81 km.
“During my recent visit to national capital, I appealed to Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to expand the national highways in Telangana and he obliged it and sanctioned”, he informed the House. It is pertinent to note that Gadkari during his recent Hyderabad visit had announced financial allocation of Rs 8000 crore to Telangana towards transforming five national highways into four lanes.
The Centre has sanctioned Rs 2690 crore for national highways and Rs 1020 sanctioned for State highways development through Central funds. KCR further expressed concern that Telangana was lagging behind in the national highways sector till recent days due to negligence of successive governments. “Now we are going to witness rapid growth in all sectors as the connectivity will improve, spur business, industrial promotion and other sectors”, he hoped.
Getting nostalgic, he said they achieved statehood after a 15-year protracted struggle, tide over power crisis, launched many welfare schemes and restored 16,000 lakes through Mission Kakatiya and will give safe drinking waters to rural areas through Mission Bhagiratha besides giving pensions to widows, old-age persons and physically challenged.
The State government sent proposals to the Centre seeking funds for various roads which include Rs 2500 crore for Sangareddy-Nanded, Rs 1000 crore for Suryapet-Khammam, Rs 2,300 crore for Jagityal-Karimnagar-Warangal, Rs 1,500 crore for Mancherial-Chennapur, Rs 700 crore for Kodada-Khammam and Rs 1,590 crore for development of roads in the remote areas and rural pockets, he added.
Roads & Buildings Minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao said earlier injustice was meted out to Telangana and now the Centre gave its nod for expansion, he said. The credit of victory of getting more highways goes to leader of the House K Chandrasekhar Rao, he said and asked Leader of Opposition K Jana Reddy not to get panicked as the Centre was ready to fund the highways, whose works will be taken up soon.