The work on beautification of roads by Roads and Buildings Department is progressing at a snail’s pace in the town. This delay and the unscientific way of its execution is giving rise to doubts among the citizens if they can ever see good roads.
More than two years ago the R&B had started the beautification of the roads, but not a single stretch is completed so far. The R&B officials, who prepared the estimates for the beautification of the 14.6-km road at a cost of Rs. 46 crore, have increased the cost estimate by another Rs. 36 crore taking it to Rs. 82 crore.
Despite the increase in project cost, it remains incomplete. The construction of rain water drains, ducts and footpaths were also being taken up in an unscientific manner leading to stagnation of water in the drains and ducts. Instead of using the red fertile soil in the divider spaces for growing plants, the authorities were dumping gravel. In August 2014 after the Government issued GO sanctioning Rs. 46 crore for taking up the work, local MLA G. Kamalakar had claimed that they would transform the main roads of the town on par with the metro cities with footpaths, central LED lighting, beautification of traffic islands and dividers etc. The authorities have not even touched the road widening work from Indira Chowk to R&B Guest House and R&B Guest House to Court crossroads in spite of the removal of trees on either side. Similarly, the road widening work on the busy RTC bus station area to Kaman crossroads and Indira Chowk is yet to begin.
Lok Satta district president N. Srinivas flayed the R&B authorities for the slow progress of work and causing serious inconvenience to the people due to potholes and dust on the roads. He also charged the authorities of failing to maintain quality of work and resorting to several irregularities.
When contacted, R&B Executive Engineer Raghava Chary told The Hindu that they would take up the work on remaining roads in the second phase and had called for tenders.
