S Bachan Jeet Singh By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Making the most of the lockdown, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has expedited the construction of flyovers and grade separators under the Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP).

Agencies who have taken up the construction works under SRDP have pressed additional machinery with the least number of workers. This would avoid crowding at work sites to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

The GHMC has increased the tempo of the SRDP works as per the instructions of MAUD Minister K T Rama Rao. Work is going on round the clock at 11 places. So far, development work worthRs 356.47 crore has been completed out of the proposed Rs 834.44 crore for the 11 SRDP works.The State government has instructed contractors to complete the remaining works worth Rs 436.52 crore by June, 2020.

A GHMC engineering official told Express that works are going at a brisk pace as there is no traffic on the roads because of the lockdown. In view of Covid-19, While carrying out the works, construction workers and supervisors are strictly following social distancing, he said.A whopping sum of Rs 2,399 crore has been sanctioned for SRDP by the Telangana government. Works amounting to Rs 1,500 crore have been completed so far.

To avoid a delay in bill payments to contractors, the State government has made available SBI bonds worth of Rs 1,000 crore and another Rs 2,500 crore under Rupee Term Loan (RTL) at the disposal of GHMC. Funds which have been spent so far includeRs 495 crore from SBI bonds and Rs 370 crore from GHMC funds.

SRDP works under progress