Maoist threat stalls road works

Visakhapatnam: The district administration is facing tough time to complete the road works in the agency area. The administration proposed several new road works under the Prime Minister Sadak Yojana Scheme to bridge the gap between the urban and agency areas.

But due to Maoist threat, the contractors are not coming forward to take up the new road works in the agency areas. Even the armed forces have been assuring to look after the security of men and machinery, the contractors are expressing their helplessness to take up the road works in the agency pockets.

Observing the seriousness of the issue, the government appointed senior IPS officer K Durga Prasad as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to coordinate with the police and other departments to complete the works. Earlier, the Maoists set ablaze machinery and also issued serious warnings to the workers and contractors not to dare to lay the roads in the agency areas.

“Yes, Maoists is one of the top five reasons that the road works have been delayed in the agency areas. In fact, getting clearances from the forest department is also main reason for the delay. Meanwhile, shifting the material like cement, stones, iron, sand and water to the locations is painful. Though some of the contractors are coming forward to take up works, climate conditions are disturbing the works,” a senior officer explained the troubles in laying the roads.

The district administration was proposed 67 road works and the survey was completed for 39 works. The forest department is yet to clear seven works. The administration also proposed for 21 road connectivity programme works and survey completed for 13 works. The engineering officials and ITDA officials informed the government about the ground level issues being faced to complete the works in the agency areas.

While responding on the issues, the Principal Secretary, Panchayat Raj, KS Jawahar Reddy, directed the officials to award the works on a nomination basis, if no contractor is coming forward to take up the works.

Meanwhile, the officials are saying that the works may not complete in the summer season. Once the South West monsoon set on, it will be a big trouble to reach the destinations, one of the senior officials of the engineering wing said.

By VKL Gayatri