If roads are washed away at hint of rain, how can we claim global city, KTR wonders

Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao, who reached the venue of Marri Chenna Reddy HRD here about 20 minutes late against the scheduled time at 9 am due to the bad condition of the roads en route on Monday, said that the maintenance of the roads would be given to private firms. KTR was speaking at a workshop on quality enhancement of engineering works with officials and stressed the need for upkeep of the roads with clean and green drive involving people. He wondered how Hyderabad could become global city with such bad roads and lack of basic facilities and infrastructure. Annoyed at the pathetic roads, he openly questioned how Hyderabad could become an international city if we cannot pave the way for ambulances. Hit by small rains, the roads are getting washed away despite spending crores of rupees for maintenance, he fumed. The Minister stated that the maintenance of the roads would be given to private firms. The government plans to hand over road maintenance works to private firms for the upkeep of the roads and to bear the expenditure circle-wise on 3 to 5-year contract. KTR stated that changes would be made to the existing Act and pave way for the construction of an inner ring road within the city to address the problems on the lines of the outer ring road. The officials should now plunge into swift action to provide basic amenities and infrastructure to the people in a proper way, he said. The MAUD Minister expressed displeasure for repeatedly digging the roads after laying them. He told the officials that if the condition of the roads had worsened with potholes, pits and uncapped roads, we cannot make Hyderabad a global destination. There is much to be done to keep the roads as clean as possible by creating awareness among the people. He said the roads being washed away at the first hint of rain spoke volumes of the substandard work. Can’t we together work and coordinate for better roads as they are like a mirror in foreign countries? KTR asked. He said that the bad roads were causing traffic jams and adding to the woes of environmental pollution. The MAUD Minister expressed serious displeasure at the pathetic condition of roads, which should be maintained with top priority. GHMC Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy and MG Gopal, Principal secretary of municipal administration, and Mayor B Rammohan and Deputy Mayor Fasiuddin Baba and City Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy and other officials were present.