NELLORE: Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday virtually inaugurated a 2.2-km four-lane road connecting National Highway-67 with the Atmakur bypass in Nellore district, developed at a cost of `8.91 crore, from his Mangalagiri camp office.
The road has been named Vayuputra Marg in recognition of the 50-foot-tall Lord Hanuman statue at a temple located near the road.
He said the alliance government was committed to strengthening rural infrastructure and improving transportation facilities. The development of the road fulfilled a long-standing demand of Atmakur residents and would help ease traffic congestion while facilitating the region’s growth, he added.
The road-widening project was taken up following a special request from Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy. Of the total project cost, `6.31 crore was spent through the Panchayat Raj department on widening the 2.2-km stretch into a four-lane road.
The remaining `2.60 crore would be utilised for a central divider, streetlights, beautification and other amenities through funds from the Andhra Pradesh Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation and the Nellore Urban Development Authority.
Pawan Kalyan said residents of Atmakur had depended on this road to reach NH-67, but the narrow stretch and potholes had caused considerable inconvenience to commuters, students and farmers.
Recognising the difficulties faced by the public, the government prioritised the project and developed the road with an emphasis on quality, aiming to provide a smoother and safer commuting experience.
Explaining the decision to name the road Vayuputra Marg, he said the nearby 50-foot Lord Hanuman statue symbolised the faith and spiritual sentiments of devotees.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government was taking up several initiatives to strengthen rural road infrastructure across Andhra Pradesh under the Palle Panduga programme.
Under Palle Panduga 1.0 and 2.0, more than 9,000 km of cement concrete (CC) roads had been constructed, while another 10,000 km of bitumen (BT) roads had been sanctioned. The works were progressing at various stages, he said.
Under Palle Panduga 3.0, approvals had been granted for the construction of another 6,000 km of CC roads and 9,500 km of BT roads. The government was also giving special priority to constructing 161 rural link roads to improve access to agricultural fields.
He said the initiatives were aimed at improving connectivity in villages, providing better transportation facilities and reducing travel difficulties faced by farmers, students and rural residents.
Pawan Kalyan directed the Engineer-in-Chief of the Panchayat Raj department to expedite proposals and other necessary measures for constructing a bridge on the route leading to Veerlagudipadu village in Sangam mandal.
The direction followed a request from Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, who represents the area, for the construction of the bridge.
The Deputy Chief Minister said 391 single-village water supply schemes were being taken up in the Atmakur Assembly constituency under the Jal Jeevan Mission-Amarajeevi Jaladhara programme at a cost of `72 crore.
Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Nellore Urban Development Authority Chairman Kotamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy and Nellore Collector Himanshu Shukla participated in the programme online.