Repair work hits a road block due to lack of bitumen
Roads empty, KTR wanted them repaired during lockdown; bitumen stuck at Vizag refinery
The state government’s plan to repair roads during the lockdown period has hit a block due to the shortage of bitumen.
Since there are no oil refineries in Telangana state, the bitumen has to be transported from Visakhapatnam. Despite instructions from municipal administration minister, K.T. Rama Rao, and AP Chief Minister, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, to the directors general of police of both the states, the bitumen transportation has run into trouble.
Rao, in a recent review meeting, has instructed Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials to take up the comprehensive road maintenance project (CRMP) work on a war footing and complete it prior to the end of the lockdown.
Instructions were given to the private agencies including BPCPL, M. Venkatarao Infra Projects
Pvt. Ltd., NCC Ltd., Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd. and KNR Constructions Ltd. to transport five tankers of bitumen from Visakhapatnam, crossing East and West Godavari in AP, Khammam, Suryapet and Nalgonda to reach Hyderabad.
Mr Rao even spoke to Mr Reddy who, in turn, accepted the proposal. Immediate instructions were given to both the state DGPs to provide necessary protection to transport bitumen from AP to Telangana crossing the border at Sattupalli.
The DGPs alerted the superintendents of police (SP) and commissioners to allow the vehicles to cross the district and state borders.
However, an objection was raised by a circle inspector (CI) in Visakhapatnam and a local sarpanch at the refinery site asking the private agencies not to move an inch during the lockdown period amid the Covid-19 crisis. They even roughed up labour for transporting bitumen.
Interestingly, the local sarpanch and CI, allegedly after being offered bribes, allowed the vehicles to leave from their jurisdiction.
Amid high drama, Mr Rao, on Friday, warned the private agencies for delaying the CRMP work. He even instructed GHMC to blacklist the agencies in case of any further delay. However, the agencies informed the minister the they have already started transporting the bitumen and CRMP works will begin by 9 am on Saturday.
Rao asked the GHMC to make the most of ongoing Covid-19 crisis. As the roads are deserted, it would be easy to lay roads and complete them prior to the lockdown period ending.
However, vital issues like social distancing of labour during the transportation is still a million-dollar question to be answered.
CRM work has been divided in to three packages and the state government has also released GO No
777, Go No 776 and Go No 775 dated November 23 pertaining to five packages.
BPCPL will execute road-laying, footpath and maintenance of greenery works in LB Nagar zone at an estimated cost of `238.42 crore.
M. Venkatarao Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd. will execute works worth `219.70 crore in Charminar zone.
NCC Ltd. would execute `243.25 crore in the Serilingampally zone.
Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd. would execute works worth `146.71 crore in Kukatpally.
KNR constructions Ltd bagged work worth
`240.61 crore in the Secunderabad zone.
Work in the Khairatabad zone has been split into two packages. KNR Constructions Ltd would execute works worth `165.68 in Khairatabad and Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd. would will take up work worth `196.08 crore.