Objective is to turn AP into accident-free State: Minister
Minister for Transport, Youth & Sports Mandipalli Ram Prasad Reddy speaking to the media after assuming charge at the Secretariat at Velagapudi on Sunday Photo: Ch Venkata Mastan
Secretariat (Velagapudi): Minister for Transport, Sports and Youth Services Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy who took charge as the minister at the Fourth Block here on Sunday at the secretariat said that Andhra Pradesh would be turned into an accident-free State.
After assuming charge, the Minister signed the first file pertaining to establishment of a training institution in driving and research at a cost of Rs 18.51 crore at Darsi in Prakasam district.
Later, addressing the media, the Minister said that the RTC drivers would be given adequate training in addition to improving the condition of roads to prevent accidents. He recalled that he was also a victim of a road accident in which his father was killed when he was 11-years-old.
Expressing concern over the horrible condition of the roads across the State, the Minister said that he would take up the issue with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to take suitable action.
Referring to the promise of free travel for women in the TDP manifesto, the Minister said that it would be implemented soon. Precautions would be taken to avoid problems in the implementation of the scheme like in Telangana and Karnataka States.
Since he was the Minister for Sports also, he underlined the importance of encouraging the sportsman spirit among youth. Plans are afoot to conduct sports meetings throughout the year to encourage sports in the State.
Referring to the merger of RTC in the government, the previous government did not do the merger properly. No new buses were purchased and repairs were not undertaken to the old buses.
Valuable properties of the RTC were handed over to individuals at throwaway price in the name of build-operate-transfer mode. A committee would be formed to take suitable action against it by conducting property inquiry into the misdeeds.
Additional secretary of Transport Narasimha Reddy, APSRTC executive directors KS Brahmananda Reddy, GV Ravi Varma, APSRTC Officers Association president Y Srinivas, tribal sports officer S Venkata Ramana, youth services deputy director Ramakrishna, and other officials congratulated the Minister.