VIJAYAWADA: The government is prioritising the development of Vijayawada city and finding permanent solutions to its traffic problems, MA&UD Minister P Narayana said on Wednesday.
He laid foundation stones and inaugurated road projects in Vijayawada, Penamaluru, and Gannavaram constituencies. To ease congestion in surrounding areas, three major master plan roads worth Rs 105 crore are set to be constructed.
In Sanath Nagar, Tadigadapa Municipality, he inaugurated a new road built at a cost of Rs 2.75 crore. Additionally, he sanctioned Rs 7 crore for immediate road development works in Tadigadapa Municipality.
Narayana declared that Vijayawada and Tirupati will soon be upgraded to ‘Greater City’ status. He explained that an official decision will be taken after the completion of the national census process. With this status, both cities are expected to receive more funds and improved infrastructure.
The Minister criticised the YSRCP regime for neglecting municipalities, stating that drainage solutions across 123 municipalities would require an estimated Rs 29,000 crore. He alleged that mismanagement of funds and failure to provide the state’s share for central schemes had stalled many projects.
In contrast, the current government is focusing on providing drinking water, drainage, and other basic infrastructure, with a commitment to completing pending works on a war footing.