Ironically, then CM KCR has announced to spend Rs 750 crore on Rajiv Rahadhari to rectify alignment, but not a single paisa was spent on it
He announced construction of by-pass roads in 10 villages, flyovers at three places and bus bays and shelters at 68 places at an estimated cost of Rs 750 crore. But remained a distant dream
However, BRS contestant Vinod Kumar is raising the issue stating that he would pressurize the Centre to get national highway status to Rajiv Rahadhari
KARIMNAGAR, APRIL 03, 2024: Rajiv Rajadhari, the state highway number 1, has become a poll issue in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections from Karimnagar parliament constituency with the former MP and TRS contestant B Vinod Kumar raising the issue of converting it into a national highway.
In small videos being circulated in the social media by the TRS leaders, Mr Vinod Kumar had been claiming that the Rajiv Rahadhari had become a death trap due several curves and turns and causing several accidents due to its unscientific execution. He is also seen showing a small video of the issue being raised in the parliament as MP in 2017 demanding the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to transform the Rajiv Rahadhari into a national highway because its geometrics were not good.
Ironically, first Chief Minister of Telangana state Mr K Chandrashekhar Rao immediately after attaining power had announced to spend Rs 750 crore on Rajiv Rahadhari and rectify alignment. Mr KCR had stated that they would rectify the Rajiv Rahadhari from Hyderabad to Mancherial via Karimnagar, by constructing by-pass roads in 10 villages, flyovers at three places and bus bays and shelters at 68 places at an estimated cost of Rs 750 crore.
During the period, Mr Rao stated that the road was constructed without proper planning and alignment and it had become an abode of accidents with blind curves, unnecessary turns and running through middle of the villages. Stating that the 206-km long road was causing inconvenience to people of several villages due to its alignment through them, then Chief Minister said it was also bothering vehicles plying on it as they have to slow down at such points. He directed the officials to construct by-pass roads at Pragnapur, Kukkunurpalli, Gauraram, Vantimamidipalli, Turkapalli, Duddeda, Mulugu, Kodakandla, Ramunipatla and Ibrahimnagar.
He asked the authorities to plan flyovers at Shamirpet, Siddipet and Elkaturthi and creation of road-side amenities including cafeteria, fuel, toilets, parking place in 15 acres land each at Siddipet and between Sultanabad and Peddapalli. Further, he told the officials to extend the state highway till Chandara in Adilabad district. But, the TRS (now BRS), which was in power for 10 years, had not taken any measures in this regard.
Incidentally, then AP Legislative Council had constituted a House Committee to go into the alleged irregularities in the execution of four-laning works, but no action was initiated against the executing agency. On the other hand, the executing agency had already started collecting toll even before the completion of four-laning of the road in the district and increasing the toll charges frequently.
There are several flaws in the execution of road works. There are no rest rooms for motorists either at toll plazas or along the highway. Though there should be 20 pedestrian and cattle path facilities, not even one has been completed anywhere in the district. There are no service roads at 19 places in the district.
On the other hand, the Congress government after attaining power had taken up the elevated express highway from Patny to Shamirpet to ease traffic congestion on the busy road and reduced the travel time. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy along with other ministers laid foundation stone for the elevated express highway in March this year by acquiring the defense lands.
