Pawan stresses need for rural connectivity

Vijayawada: Special attention should be paid to connect villages with better roads for development of the state, said Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan. He directed the panchayat raj engineering officials to initiate steps to lay roads for a length of 7,213 km at a cost of Rs 4,976 crore.

Addressing a review with panchayat raj engineering officials and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) officials at his camp office here on Thursday, Pawan Kalyan stressed the need for better connectivity to each and every village having more than 250 population.

He said roads should be developed at a cost of Rs 200 crore every month to improve connectivity.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that laying of rural roads was delayed due to non-clearance of bills by the previous YSRCP government. He directed the officials to develop a special portal to maintain transparency in road works.

He said that he will request the Central government to reduce the state share of 30 per cent matching grant to 10 per cent for development of roads.

Officials of AIIB including Farhad Ahmed, Ashokkumar, Sivaramakrishna Sastry and chief engineer, panchayat raj, Balu Naik and others were present.