HYDERABAD: Twin cities roads could finally be getting a much needed fresh coat of bitumen with the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad having issued work orders for commencement of the re-carpeting exercise.

The long-delayed work began after the Government had issued an order few days ago subscribing to the new standard scheduled rates (SSR) to enable contractors to take up the bitumen laying works in tune with prevailing prices.

Armed with the new order, the MCH has cleared tenders worth Rs. 23 crores for about 244 road stretches in all divisions from one to 12, pertaining to areas of Charminar, Karwan, Abids, Khairatabad, Secunderabad and so on.

Additional Commissioner (Works) K. Harsha Vardhan said that tenders for all road works have been called and work orders were issued for many of them. He expects the bitumen road works to be completed in the next three to four months time.

Tenders soon

Another batch of 184 bitumen road works at an estimated cost of Rs. 23 crores too is getting ready for sanction.

Tenders could be finalised soon what with corporators breathing down the necks of the officials to get works cleared as they have just one more month to demit office.

But, other bitumen road works already contracted yet withheld when the Municipal Administration Department issued the G.O. on new SSI rates for fresh works only continues to be in the limbo.

Officials expect a clarification soon so that pending road works worth Rs. 10 crores can also be completed. The MCH had sanctioned 437 bitumen road works for the year at a total cost of Rs. 31 crores of which, it has claimed to have completed 141.

Fresh bitumen carpeting of the roads have been kept pending for almost all through last year with contractors demanding fresh SSR rates and because of the time taken by the Government for issuing new orders.

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