3 weeks ago
Komatireddy Bars Harassment of Road Contractors Over Material Permits
In the Indian state of Telangana, the minister in charge of roads told mining officials to stop being unfair to the people who build roads.
Road builders need sand, soil, and stones, and they need permission to get them.
Some small builders were being fined huge amounts for small problems.
The ministers said a fine of ten times the value of the materials was not fair.
They also spoke about a builder named Srinivas Reddy who died by suicide, and they want someone held responsible.
The government is building modern roads under a plan called the Hybrid Annuity Model.
The chief minister wants these roads finished by August 2028.
The mining minister has now asked his officials to take appropriate action.
Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy directed Mines department officials not to harass contractors over permits for sourcing metal and other construction materials.
He and Mines and Geology Minister Dr G. Vivek Venkataswamy held a review meeting at the Secretariat on Friday on problems contractors face in obtaining mining-related permissions.
The ministers observed that imposing penalties equal to 10 times the value of the material on small contractors executing road works was not justified.
Komatireddy called a Rs.54-crore penalty on a Rs.5-crore issue 'atrocious' and urged action against the official allegedly linked to contractor Srinivas Reddy's suicide.
Telangana is executing road works under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) with a goal to complete them by August 2028.
- Who
- Telangana Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Mines and Geology Minister Dr G. Vivek Venkataswamy.
- What
- Directed Mines department officials to stop harassing road contractors over material permits and deemed heavy penalties unjustified.
- Where
- The Secretariat in Hyderabad, Telangana.
- When
- Friday, during a review meeting at the Secretariat.
- Why
- To ease difficulties faced by contractors in obtaining mining-related permits for road construction materials.
Key facts
- Government
- Telangana State Government
- Ministers involved
- Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Dr G. Vivek Venkataswamy
- Penalty criticized
- Rs.54 crore imposed on a Rs.5-crore issue
- Penalty ratio questioned
- 10 times the value of the material
- Road project model
- Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM)
- Chief Minister
- A. Revanth Reddy
- Completion target
- August 2028
Quotes
Komatireddy Venkat Reddy
Roads and Buildings Minister of Telangana
“We have launched the HAM road works with great fanfare under the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.”
deccanchronicle.com
“It is not fair for the Mines department to harass small contractors.”
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