Vizianagaram: Agency villages in five mandals to have better road connectivity

Vizianagaram: The hilltop agency villages will soon have better road connectivity as the Tribal Welfare department has resolved to improve infrastructural facilities.

Deputy Chief Minister P Pushpasreevani is taking special care in this regard. Actually, the government has sanctioned funds for laying roads in Agency areas of the State under the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) with an estimated budget of Rs 436 crore. The Tribal Welfare department has identified 272 works under 12 packages. But the contractors stepped back as they felt that execution of works within the specified budget is not feasible.

As a result, the funds were left unutilised for the past six months and on the other side, the tribal people are facing trouble to reach the nearby mandal headquarters during nighttime. They are finding it difficult to reach hospitals and schools, colleges too. They are also struggling to reach weekly markets with their agriculture products as the villages don't have road connectivity.

Tribal Welfare Minister Pushpasreevani herself has witnessed the plight of is eyewitness for all these situations here.

Hence, she took initiative and modified the packages for Kurupam constituency and apportioned funds worth Rs 34 crore for the roads in these four mandals. She spoke to officials concerned and modified the packages and sanctioned the funds to provide road facility to these villages.

As a result, the villages, which are in thick forests, surrounded by the hills would get all black-topped roads. Villages in Kurupam, GL Puram, Jiyammavalasa, Komarada and Garugubilli mandals would have new roads under the IAP scheme.

Speaking on the issue, Pushpa Sreevani says, "We do whatever we can do from ourside to provide all basic amenities like roads, education and medical services. All the roads under these packages would be completed within one year, she added.