Date:25/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/25/stories/2008092561160600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Creation of State road fund mooted

M.L. Melly Maitreyi

‘Budgetary sanction not in proportion to the pace of deterioration of roads’

Increased movement of heavy vehicles damaging roads before their average life
Bad drainage system is another reason for fast deterioration of roads

HYDERABAD: The State Road Development Corporation has submitted a proposal to the government for creating Andhra Pradesh State road fund by collecting cess from industrial users and other identified sectors using the road network for their commercial activities for maintenance of the road infrastructure.

The APRDC Managing Director B. Rajagopal Reddy says once an asset was created, allocation of funds for its maintenance was equally important.

Roads and Building Department officials also feel it is time to levy toll tax on mining industries that transport mined material by road to various districts for generating additional revenue required for better road maintenance.

While the State R&B has a network of 69,051 km, APRDC maintains 12,000 km of core traffic network and high traffic density corridor of the State with maintenance budget of Rs.120 crore.

Rising costs

Though the State budgetary allocation for R&B is Rs.2,500 crore including maintenance, the rising cost of bitumen, which has increased from Rs.12,000 per tonne to Rs.38,000/tonne, is a huge drain on maintenance expenditure, says Mr. Reddy.

Collection of cess

“Hence the need to create the fund by collecting cess from industrial users,” he adds.

Admitting that major district roads are deteriorating faster than their average life of three years due to increased movement of multi-axle heavy vehicles ferrying iron ore, sand, cement and the growing vehicle density, R&B officials says the present budgetary sanction for maintenance is not in proportion to the rate of deterioration.

Toll fee

“Toll is seen as delicate subject in the State unlike in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu where toll fee is collected for State Highways too. Even in the case of national highways, the State has lowest toll rates in the entire country,” says a senior official. Bad drainage system in urban as well as rural areas is another chief reason for fast deterioration of roads.