Toll Waiver For Sankranthi: Why BRS Is Stooping So Low?

The Telangana Government has written to the Central Government seeking a toll tax waiver for all vehicles travelling from Hyderabad to Vijayawada during the Sankranthi holidays. The request aims to ease heavy festive traffic and ensure smoother travel on this busy corridor.

Sankranthi is one of the biggest festivals in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, leading to a large movement of people from Hyderabad to their native places. Traffic on this route increases by nearly 200 percent, with close to one lakh vehicles using the highway daily during peak days.

Toll plazas such as Panthangi, Korlapahad, and Chilakallu often become major choke points during this period. Long queues, extended delays, and traffic congestion affect travel time and raise safety concerns for commuters.

Apart from toll-related issues, junctions, nearby habitations, and ongoing road works also add to traffic jams. These combined factors make festival travel stressful for thousands of families heading home for celebrations.

The proposed waiver is expected to enable safe, seamless, and hassle-free travel for lakhs of citizens. It would also help reduce fuel wastage and save valuable man hours lost in traffic congestion.

The move is likely to ease pressure on the police and other authorities involved in traffic management. However, the issue has taken a political turn with the BRS raising objections to the decision.

BRS leaders have alleged that the Congress government is trying to appease settlers and consolidate votes. They have questioned why similar benefits are not extended to people travelling during Telangana festivals.

The Revanth Reddy government has clarified that the decision is not linked to Andhra or Telangana sentiments. Similar toll waivers were announced earlier during the KCR government as well.

The waiver would also benefit many Telangana residents travelling to districts like Nalgonda, Suryapet, Khammam, and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri along the same route. Despite this, BRS continues to focus on political mileage by stirring regional sentiment.