The Highways Department will wait till after April before it takes over 7,964 km of roads from the Rural Development Department. “Works are being carried out on some stretches and we want those to be completed before the transfer,” said a source in the Highways Department, which maintains over 62,000 km of road length in the State.
The move, which is expected to improve the quality of these roads to a great extent, would cost the Highways Department an additional Rs. 500 crore annually. “We are also asking that funds allocated for maintenance of these roads be allocated to us. The Central government makes a provision for funds annually,” explained a source.
Roads that fall under certain classifications are to be upgraded and reclassified as Other District Roads (ODR). Roads that connect major industries, or agricultural marketing centres, tourist spots, religious places or taluk head quarters would be chosen. Roads having a traffic intensity of 2,000 passenger car units and more would be included, explained sources.
Joint inspection of these roads is being done by the officials of the Highways Department and Rural Development to verify whether these roads satisfy the conditions for upgradation. “We are looking for these criteria and also listing assets of the roads, including culverts and minor bridges,” the official said. A former Highways Department engineer said that many rural roads were in a bad shape and even patch works would cost Rs. 150 crore. “Now after such heavy rains, the budget could increase,” he said.
The move would cost the Highways Dept. an additional Rs. 500 crore annually
