Contractor collects toll tax despite works half done

The contractor has been collecting toll fee for the last three years while most of the works are yet to be completed

Nalgonda: In what could be termed as day-light robbery, the toll fee is being collected from vehicle riders on the Narkatpally-Addanki Road, linking Telangana with Tamil Nadu, in spite of the fact that the developer of the road had completed only 80 per cent works.

While most of the roads, underpass bridges and service roads are yet to be completed, the roads that are already laid have developed ditches causing untold hardships to motorists, and causing accidents sometimes.

Despite this, the State government gave permission to the contractor, Ramky Constructions, to collect the toll tax.

It may be recalled that the then YS Rajasekhara Reddy government in 2005 identified the road as the State Highway-2. Ramky Constructions bagged the contract to develop the four-lane road at a cost of Rs 1,197 crore under Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) mechanism.

The contractor, who worked on the road for eight years, submitted a report to the State government stating that the project has been completed.

The then Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on being satisfied with the quality of the road and its maintenance allowed Ramky to collect toll tax for 20 years.

The road is 160 km long from Addanki to Narkatpally and stretch of the road from Narkatpally to Vadapalli measures 86 km. According to Madugulapalli sarpanch Jangaiah, the contractor bypassed several constructions contemplated as part of the project.

Construction of flyovers at Yellareddygudem, Charlapalli, Duppalapalli, Madgulapalli and Kondraprol and lying of approach roads are still going on.

Meanwhile, the road claimed many lives by way of accidents at Charlapalli, Kesarajupalli, Madgulapalli, Vemulapalli, Settipalem, Miryalaguda bypass, Edulagudem bypass, Guduru, Kothagudem, Kondrapol, Rallavaguthanda, Bottalapalem and Vadapalli as these areas are still accident prone as the road was laid without proper plan.

Apart from construction of flyovers and approach roads, which are still pending, rain water is getting stagnated on the roads since the construction was very poor, it is alleged.

The road development firm is collecting toll for the past three years. It is high time the government officials responded and ensured the completion of pending road works.