VIJAYAWADA: The long-pending projects of widening of the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam Road and the construction of a flyover at the Benz Circle here are set to be taken up soon, according to Machilipatnam MP Konakalla Narayana Rao.
Disclosing this while participating in a couple of developmental works at Brahmapuram in Pedana on Sunday, he said that tenders had been called for the conversion of the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam double-road into a four lane one and added that the project was estimated to cost Rs 1,300 cr. He added that depending on the traffic, the road would be made a six-lane one later.
He said that once the flyover at the Benz Circle was completed it would put an end to the traffic nightmare of the people of Vijayawada. He said that the new flyover would be built from the Screw Bridge to Nirmala Convent at Benz circle, where two national highways (Pune-Machilipatnam and Chennai-Kolkata) intersected. For long, the area had been witnessing a high density of vehicular traffic and during peak hours, vehicle-users had to wait for long to cross the junction on any side, he pointed out.
The MP said that once the railway line-doubling works between Gudivada and Machilipatnam, Gudivada and Bhimavaram, Bhimavaram and Nidadavolu were completed, the traffic congestion in Vijayawada would be further reduced. At the same time, connectivity to the port town of Machilipatnam would increase, paving the way for its development, he added. The estimated cost of the railway line-doubling works was Rs 2,000 cr, he said.
Rao said that a total Rs 84 cr had been sanctioned by the Central government for the development of basic infrastructure in municipal bodies in Krishna district. He maintained that both the state and Central governments were committed to developing all the urban areas in the state and added that accordingly they were taking up various initiatives.
He called upon the municipal administrations in the district to wisely utilise the allocated funds. He said that Rs 84 cr sanctioned by the Centre was only its share of 78 per cent, while the remaining 22 per cent of the funds were needed to be raised by the respective municipalities on their own. In case the works taken up were completed within 24 hours, the Centre would grant a further 15 per cent of funds, he added.
Inaugurating a 33/11 kV sub-station, constructed at a cost of Rs 1.5 cr, at Brahmapuram along with Pedana MLA K Venkatarao, the MP said that the government was committed to rural electrification and was determined to ensure uninterrupted power to each and every village. Accordingly, it was setting up electrical sub-stations wherever necessary. “Port-based industries and power projects will be set up in this region,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Venkatrao said that the new sub-station would ensure better power supply to both Pedana and Gudur. Stating that the weavers in Pedana needed 24x7 power, he urged the government to include Pedana in the 24x7 power package. He also wanted the upgradation of Bantumilli region to 132 KV sub-station category.
“There are considerable reserves of natural oil and gas in Krishna Basin and at Avanigadda. A meeting will be held with GAIL and ONGC officials on August 1 to discuss the development of the region,” he said. Proposals for drinking water supply in Pedana with an investment of Rs 50 cr and a drainage system with an investment of Rs 72 cr had been submitted to the government, he added.