Union Minister of Tourism G.Kishan Reddy has joined the Opposition ranks in criticising the handover of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to a private concessionaire for maintenance on ‘Toll-Operate-Transfer’ (TOT) basis at ₹7,380 crore for a period of 30 years, and accused the BRS government of being involved in a “big scam”.
“It is a pre-planned conspiracy to kill the golden goose of ORR to serve the selfish interests of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his family in a fresh corrupt drama. Is the government ready for an independent audit into the dubious tender procedure or a probe by the CBI if it is clean,” he asked during a press conference at the BJP office here on Sunday.
Flanked by former MLA Ch. Ramachandra Reddy and others, Mr. Kishan Reddy said that the private firm currently collecting toll is paying ₹415 crore annually to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, and if this was taken as the base price, a 5% increase each year would fetch ₹30,000 crore, 10% hike ₹75,000 crore and 15% around ₹2 lakh crore during the 30-year period.
This was based on the rapid growth of Hyderabad and its environs, a high number of vehicle registrations, investments in infrastructure as well as in industries plus the fact that every vehicle using the national highways has to get onto the ORR and pay the toll, he said.
“What is the game plan behind handing over the ORR to a private firm which has paid ₹8,000 for a 10-year lease of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway? Most road projects are being given for 10-15 years and it is not correct to say the National Highway Authority of India guidelines were followed for the ORR tender process,” asserted the Minister.
There were questions being raised on why the revenue has been deliberately kept low when the traffic on ORR has been increasing by the day. “Why is the base price not revealed and why was there a delay in announcing the highest bidder? When HMDA Master Plan is upto 2031, how can an asset like ORR be given away for a throwaway price for 30 years,” he sought to know.
Mr. Kishan Reddy said once his party comes to power in the next elections, it would order a full-fledged probe into the ‘daylight scam’ and will not spare anyone - officials or non-officials, if found to be involved. He also alleged that illegal real estate deals are also being struck in the suburbs with the BRS leaders playing the role of middlemen.
