TRS legislators divided over granite transportation

Overloaded lorries damaging roads; Accidents are rising

Karimnagar: Granite transport business has caused divisions in the ranks of the TRS legislators in Karimnagar districts. The district is famous for granite business.

The district has abundant reserves of granite. Voluntary organisations protested against quarrying as it was causing damage to environment. But the protests did not make any impact on the government. The business is generating huge revenue for the State government.

Choppadandi MLA Bodige Sobha and Manakondur legislator Rasamayi Balkishan have opposed transport of granite on major roads as overloaded lorries are damaging them.

People, during the recent elections, urged candidates stop transportation of granite. They clearly told them that they would vote for only those who assured to act against overloaded granite lorries. Sobha andi Balkishan demanded that the government take stringent action against owners of granite quarries.

The MLAs said they were seeking action as they had assured their constituents to address the issue, if they were elected. Both Assembly segments are close to the district headquarters.

However, Karimnagar MLA Gangula Kamalakar and Manthani legislator Putta Madhu have not concurred with their colleagues.

They said it was not right to act against the quarries which are generating huge revenue for the State. Kamalakar and Madhu spoke with Shobha and Balkishan and pacified them.

About 300 lorries transport granite stones from quarries to the district headquarters daily passing through the Choppadandi and Manakondur Assembly constituencies. Roads in the two areas were damaged following movement of overloaded vehicles.

Officials are turning a blind eye against the quarries as majority of them are owned by ruling party leaders. Accidents too are on the rise on the damaged roads, particulary on the Karimnagar-Vemulawada highway. Roads in Huzurabad, Shankarapatnam and Choppadandi are in bad shape.

It is learnt that granite quarry owners had influenced the previous government to issue a GO allowing overloaded lorries to transport granites.

At a recent general body meeting, MLAs exchanged heated arguments in the presence of Finance Minister Etela Rajender over damaged roads. Realising gravity of the issue, he had brought it to the notice of Chief Minister KCR.

With instructions of the Minister, district officials conducted a special drive for a week and registered 37 cases against overloaded granite lorries and fined the owners Rs 10 lakh. However, the quarry owners did not stop lorry transportation.

Officials have forwarded proposals seeking Rs 50 crore for road repairs. So far the government did not release the amount.

Voluntary organisations and Opposition parties are surprised that ruling party MLAs are opposing granite transportation.