Telangana Cabinet decision to develop rural roads on PPP mode triggers concerns

If PPP model is adopted in the State for PR&RD and R&B roads, then road users would have to pay a toll fee. Though villagers in a radius of about 3 to 5 km are exempted from toll fee payment, others will have to pay the toll.

Hyderabad: The State Cabinet’s decision to develop Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (PR&RD) and Roads and Buildings (R&B) roads under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode is leaving many, especially those operating goods transportation vehicles and jeeps in rural areas, worried.

Generally, the National Highways Authority of India adopts these practices. After constructing new roads or expressways, the contractors or executing agencies are permitted to collect toll fee from roads users to recover their investment. If a similar model is adopted in the State for PR&RD and R&B roads, then road users would have to pay a toll fee. Though villagers in a radius of about three to five km are exempted from toll fee payment, others will have to pay the toll.

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This could adversely impact those operating goods transportation vehicles, passenger carriers like jeeps and vans and even farmers who transport their stocks from the fields to market yards. Eventually, it is the general public that will have to bear the brunt. Citing increased transportation costs, they will be fleeced by transport operators and passenger carriers.

Ever since the free bus travel facility for women was introduced, many auto-rickshaw and passenger carrier drivers have hit the roads saying their livelihood was affected due to poor bookings and seat occupancy. Introducing a toll collection system could sound the death knell for them.

The BRS too is stating that this initiative would result in introducing a toll system in urban and rural areas across the State. “Congress government cabinet announces to introduce PPP model for mandal roads to the tune to Rs.28,000 crore. This would introduce toll collection system. Paisa vasool shuru!,” BRS social media convenor Manne Krishank said on X.

Experts and senior officials are also apprehensive about taking up road development works under PPP mode. These models would be viable in urban and semi-urban limits as the executing agencies would be permitted to set up advertisement hoardings or develop recreational facilities to recover their investments, a retired senior officer from PR&RD said.

In case of rural roads, this model would not be viable as the return of investments cannot be encouraging for the agencies. Already, since the last six to seven years, the road network has been developed across the State and if the maintenance of these roads was handled properly, it could cut down expenditure for the government significantly, he said.

A minimum of Rs.500 crore was spent annually towards PR&RD roads development, including repairs and laying new roads. The connectivity between thandas and panchayats and mandals had improved and so was the connectivity between mandals and district headquarters, he explained.

What the previous BRS government did

From 2014 to 2022 – Progress achieved by the R&B department-

• 8,218 km long two lane roads laid

• 321 km long 4-lane roads constructed

• 39 km long 6-lane roads constructed

• 382 bridges constructed

• 8064 km long repairs undertaken.

CRMP in Hyderabad

The Comprehensive Road Maintenance Programme (CRMP) was introduced in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Under the first phase of this initiative, the maintenance of 709 km of roads stretches was entrusted to private agencies for a period of five years. After the responsibility of restoring the roads was handed over to the agencies, an additional 102.95 km of stretches were identified and these roads too were handed over to CRMP agencies without increasing the project cost. Overall, under the first phase of CRMP, 811.95 km of city main roads, road repairs, maintenance, and re-carpeting were taken up at a cost of Rs.1,050 crore. There was no additional financial burden on road users and the corporation bore the expenditure.

What the Congress government is planning

Stressing that there was a need to construct about 16,000 km to 17,000 km under the PR&RD and R&B departments’ purview, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy had said after the Cabinet meeting last week that this includes renewing the existing roads and new road connectivity. There has to be BT road connectivity from gram panchayats to mandal headquarters and double roads from mandal headquarters to district headquarters and four-lane roads from district headquarters to Hyderabad, he said, adding that the State government intended to develop these roads under PR&RD and R&B purview.

Accordingly, each erstwhile district would be taken up as a unit and a few roads under PR&RD and R&B limits will be covered in the next four years. Towards this, senior engineers from all departments would be roped in and a committee would be constituted. This committee would study the PPP models being implemented in other States and prepare a Detailed Project Report, the Minister said, adding that tentatively, there would be a requirement of Rs.25,000 crore to Rs.28,000 crore.