VIJAYAWADA: In a major push to take development to the doorstep of people living in remote and neglected habitations, 158 villages and hamlets in Andhra Pradesh are set to get road connectivity for the first time.
The Rs 422 crore project, taken up under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), is expected to transform the lives of thousands of people living in the remote areas without access to education, healthcare, markets and other essential services. Under the project, 146 roads measuring 347 km and 19 bridges will be constructed across several districts of the State.
The project is part of Deputy Chief Minister (Panchayat Raj and Rural Development) Pawan Kalyan’s broader effort to ensure that the benefits of development reach even the last habitation in the State.
The administrative sanction for the road project has been given, paving the way for its execution by the Panchayat Raj Engineering Department. Another Rs 24.47 crore has been sanctioned for maintaining the roads for five years.
The habitations identified for the road project are spread across Alluri Sitarama Raju, Parvathipuram Manyam, Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai, Kurnool, Kadapa, Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Palnadu, NTR, Eluru, Polavaram, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts.
The initiative follows ‘Adavi Thalli Bata’, through which road connectivity has already been provided to several hilltop villages in ASR and Parvathipuram districts.
The Deputy Chief Minister has directed officials to maintain the highest quality standards in the construction of the roads and bridges, stressing that the infrastructure created with public money should remain durable and serve communities for decades.
Kalyan said, “The provision of road connectivity to 158 habitations under the PMGSY is a matter of immense satisfaction to me.”
He credited the road project to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, and the cooperation of Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
“The new roads will not only improve transportation in Agency areas but also connect remote communities with the outside world,” he added.
