VIJAYAWADA: Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister Ponguru Narayana on Tuesday inaugurated road construction works at Karlapudi in Amaravati mandal and later held a review meeting on pending Vijayawada Municipal Corporation projects.
At Karlapudi, the minister, accompanied by local MLA Bhashyam Praveen, laid the foundation stone for a 2.9 km road connecting Karlapudi to Ananthavaram.
The project was taken up following farmers’ requests during Narayana’s visit to launch land pooling activities the previous day. Responding promptly, the minister directed officials to prepare estimates and entrusted the work to a contracting agency, instructing completion within a week.
Narayana noted that 1,000 acres were pooled across three villages on the first day alone, amounting to 25 percent completion. Stressing the importance of infrastructure, the minister said Amaravati’s development depends on projects such as the Inner Ring Road and the International Sports City. MLA Praveen assured that 80 percent of land pooling would be completed within a month, after which the master plan would be finalised and tenders invited.
Recalling villagers’ concerns over the poor condition of a 3.9 km road in Karlapudi, raised during a recent gram sabha, Narayana said, “We immediately initiated the construction works and will ensure they are completed at the earliest.”
Later, Narayana chaired a review meeting at MLA Sujana Chowdary’s camp office in Tadigadapa, focusing on development works in the Vijayawada West constituency and across the corporation limits.
Officials were directed to expedite pending VMC projects, including the preparation of a master plan for stormwater drains. Discussions also covered the installation of solar panels at government offices, allocation of vacant VMC land for parking at the Durga temple and alternative housing arrangements for families residing on hill slopes.
Narayana sought updates on the delayed construction of the new Corporation building, noting proposals to take it up under the PPP model. He assured that a comprehensive review covering all aspects of civic development would be conducted after Sankranti.