World Bank withdraws funding to 318-cr road project

Kakinada: The Rs 318 crore World Bank-aided road project connecting Port city Kakinada to  Rajamahendravaram for a distance  of 55 kms  lapsed due to non-execution of works for five  years. 

The road project was cleared in the year 2011 and it was planned to connect Kakinada to Vemagiri, on the outskirts of Rajamahendravaram.   It was planned to lay the road along the irrigation canal touching Samarlakota, Biccavole, Anaparty and Dwarampudi. Land was acquired for the road construction and encroachments were removed in 2015. The project was awarded to Maitas Construction Company owned by a people’s representative from Guntur district.

The first stretch was a four-lane road between Kakinada-Samarlakota, covering a distance of 16 kms. From there, 22 mts wide road was planned for the rest of the distance up to Vemagiri.  The contractors   demanded the entire stretch  of road extension and not in parts. The officials could not fulfil their demand. 

Meanwhile, the WB authorities paid more than Rs 20 crore towards rehabilitation for the displaced persons.  According to sources the contractors did not show interest in completing the project as the norms set up for execution were not favourable to them.   No action was initiated for the delay in  execution due to political reasons.  The non-execution of works for five years said to have prompted the WB to withdraw from the project.

Former  Kakinada Rural MLA, Kurasala Kanna Babu said that,  he himself took initiative for clearing the project during  2009-11 as part of the road falls in his constituency. Because of   delay in   the execution by the  executing agency,  the WB withdrew from the project.   

East Godavari R  and  B superintending engineer( SE) C  S  N  Murty  said that  as the WB withdrew from the project, the  road maintenance has been entrusted back to  R & B department.

However Kakinada  Rural  MLA, Pilli  Anantalakshmi  expressed hopes for execution of road works.  ``We hope that some new company   will take up  the execution of the project  as the ground work  of rehabilitation had  been completed,’’ she said.   

By L Anjaneyulu