NELLORE: The drought-hit Udayagiri constituency will host the statewide launch of Palle Panduga 3.0 on September 29, with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan inaugurating the third phase of the rural development programme at Ramapuram village in Varikuntapadu mandal.
Officials said the venue was chosen to highlight the challenges facing rural areas and showcase ongoing efforts to strengthen village infrastructure and livelihoods.
Preparations are being overseen by Udayagiri TDP MLA Kakarla Suresh. Suresh said the programme will deliver 6,000 km of cement-concrete roads at a cost of Rs 2,700 crore and 9,500 km of BT roads worth Rs 7,550 crore.
It also includes 22,000 mini Gokulams, or livestock shelters, costing Rs 300 crore to support dairy farmers. Plantation activities across 50,000 acres will be taken up at an estimated Rs 225 crore, while Rs 110 crore will be spent on 1,000 km of magic drains. Another Rs 200 crore will go towards bus shelters, Gram Panchayat buildings, community platforms and other village infrastructure.
Of the total Rs 11,085 crore investment, the Centre will contribute Rs 5,391 crore and the State Rs 5,694 crore. Funding sources include Rs 1,750 crore under VB-G RAM G, Rs 3,800 crore under the Global Horticulture Hub initiative and Rs 2,000 crore through NABARD, SASKI and others.
Earlier phases of the programme delivered Rs 2,525 crore worth of projects, including 4,000 km of cement-concrete roads, 22,500 livestock shelters, 15,000 water storage structures and one lakh farm ponds. Phase two extended the reach further, covering 53,382 works worth Rs 6,787 crore across 13,326 Panchayats.
Ahead of the launch, NDA leaders across Nellore district have been mobilising support for a large turnout. Ministers Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Ponguru Narayana, BC Janardhan Reddy and Gottipati Ravi Kumar, along with MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, Collector Himanshu Shukla and SP Ajitha Vejendla, have held review meetings to finalise arrangements.
At the venue, ground levelling, shelter arrangements, drinking water points and parking facilities are being readied. Mobilisation efforts are underway across Udayagiri, Varikuntapadu, Kaligiri, Vinjamur, Seetharamapuram, Duttalur and Kondapuram mandals.