VIJAYAWADA: In its bid to improve mandal and rural road connectivity, the state government has earmarked Rs 6,400 crore for two mega projects that are aimed at expanding 3,104 km stretch of roads and reconstruction of 479 bridges.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting with the minister for roads and buildings M. Sankara Narayana and Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das and others at his Camp Office here on Thursday. The Chief Minister directed officials to take up development of roads ensuring quality in an expeditious manner and appreciated the officials from R and B for taking up the tender process in a transparent manner.
He opined that road development projects would play a key role in development of the state besides providing employment opportunities and provide rural connectivity to ports and industrial hubs, across the State. This will also help realise social development from the financial support from New Development Bank.
Earlier on November 6, the State government, Centre and New Development Bank entered into an agreement for sanction of a loan. The two mega projects include AP mandal connectivity, rural connectivity improvement project and AP roads and bridges reconstruction project with each costing Rs 3,200 crore. The share of NDB will be 70 per cent with the State bearing the remaining 30 per cent.
The main purpose of the two projects is to lay double lane connectivity from district headquarters to mandal headquarters and also from mandal headquarters to the neighbouring mandal headquarters. In the first phase, 1,243 km distance roads will be developed at a cost of Rs 2,978 crore and with reverse tendering Rs 85.43 crore is likely to be saved.
The first phase will begin in February while DPR for the second phase of works are in preparation.
