Cutting across party lines, municipal corporators  have expressed anguish and ire over the bad condition of roads in the Greater Hyderabad limits.

Congress, TDP, MIM and BJP corporators, speaking at the 12th GHMC general body meeting here on Monday, told mayor M Majid Hussain that people were facing untold hardships due to the pathetic condition of roads. Except filling the potholes and other temporary measures, the corporation failed to repair the damaged roads on a permanent basis, they said. Even the recarpeted roads were brought back to the old condition by just one spell of rain, they said.

After hearing their outpouring, the mayor said a committee with all the floor leaders and officials would be constituted to look into the extent of the damage caused to the roads and would submit a report to the council on the appropriate measures to be taken.

TDP floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy, who raised the issue, said roads were getting battered even by a small rain and the contingency expenditure was going waste. No comprehensive plans were chalked in the last four years to solve the recurring problem, he said, adding that the city’s image took a beating because of the bad roads.

BJP’s Bangari Prakash said that when the GHMC was unable to maintain the roads properly in the present limits, where was the need for the merger of 35 gram panchayats with it. He demanded that a committee be appointed to look into the road damage.

Congress floor leader Diddi Rambabu said  people were facing a lot of  problems due to bad roads.

MIM corporator Syed Abdul Haq said GHMC was wasting public money on road repairs and no efforts were being made to lay roads in a scientific manner so that they lasted at least for 15 to 20 years.    

Commissioner MT Krishna Babu admitted that roads got battered by the incessant rains since July but the damages were in patches. All the damaged patches will be restored by October 10 at a cost of Rs 17 crore.

When members disputed with the commissioner over the extent of damage, the mayor asked them to provide a list of bad roads in their respective divisions to the officials concerned for restoring them.