Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Budi Mutyala Naidu blamed the erstwhile TDP government for the bad condition of roads.
“The potholes have not developed overnight. They were small in the beginning but subsequently became bigger due to rains. Though the Dwarakanagar main road was repaired, a vernacular daily published an old picture claiming that the road was not repaired,” he alleged at a press conference on Friday.
He opined that no government would be able to repair all the roads overnight. “The repairs are being taken up in a phased manner based on the availability of funds. While the past government had neglected government schools, the YSRCP government has developed infrastructure at government schools under the ‘Nadu Nedu’ programme,” he said.
Mr. Mutyala Naidu said that the engineering officials of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) have identified 6,900 potholes under GVMC limits, and that measures have been initiated to repair them.
Mr. Mutyala Naidu said that 3,200 potholes on various roads in the city have been filled at an approximate cost of ₹9 crore and estimates prepared for repairing the remaining 3,700 potholes. Engineering officials have been directed to complete them by July 15.
In addition to this, each corporator in GVMC would be allotted ₹1.5 crore for taking up development works in their respective wards. Repairs would be taken up on a total of 450 km of roads, and would be completed by September-end.
The Deputy Chief Minister blamed the erstwhile TDP government for the condition of the roads.
Replying to a query, he said that repair of roads in rural areas would also be taken up. “Works have just started in the Agency areas. Tenders have been called for black-topping of some roads in the first phase. Work on other roads would be taken up in the second phase,” he said.
Collector A. Mallikarjuna and GVMC Commissioner G. Lakshmisha were present.
