Telangana cinematography minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has landed in political controversy following his decision to seek toll-free travel for people travelling from Hyderabad to Vijayawada on the national highway during the Sankranti festival period.
A couple of days ago, the minister wrote to Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, requesting exemption of toll fees for vehicles travelling from Hyderabad to Andhra Pradesh between January 9 and 14, and for return journeys from Vijayawada to Hyderabad between January 16 and 18.
Komatireddy also stated that the Telangana government was prepared to bear the toll charges.
The announcement immediately triggered criticism, with Telangana activists questioning why similar concessions were not considered for routes connecting Hyderabad to Miryalaguda, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Warangal, Kurnool or Zaheerabad.
They are asking whether Komatireddy had forgotten that he was a Telangana minister and whether Telangana-bound festival travellers deserved equal consideration.
In fact, Komatireddy’s proposal was impractical and politically misguided.
Under National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) norms, toll exemptions are granted only in rare circumstances such as wars or natural disasters.
Any approval, they said, would set a nationwide precedent and impose a financial burden on governments.
The opposition further claimed that the proposal would reinforce allegations that the Revanth Reddy government prioritises Andhra Pradesh-related interests, an argument frequently advanced by the BRS.
They warned that if Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu were to publicly claim credit for such a decision, it could cause severe political damage to the Telangana government.
They also pointed out that traffic congestion on the Hyderabad–Vijayawada highway is largely due to delayed flyover construction at identified black spots such as Chityala, Peddakaparthy, Choutuppal and Nalgonda bypass, rather than toll plazas.
They urged the minister to focus on expediting infrastructure works and holding contractors accountable instead of making symbolic announcements.
