Massive repairs to roads taken up at a cost of Rs 2,208 cr: Minister M Sankaranarayana

Vijayawada: Giving top priority for road repairs, the state government finalised tenders for 812 works costing Rs 1,764 crore. The government has been planning to take up 1,152 works at a cost of Rs 2,208 crore. Tenders for balance works also will be finalised by February, according to minister for roads and buildings M Sankaranarayana.

The minister along with principal secretary (R& B and transport) M T Krishna Babu conducted a review meeting on action taken report for repairs to damaged roads across the state at R&B HoD office buildings here on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had given directions to ground the works immediately so that majority works can be completed during this working season before end of June, 2022.

All the superintending engineers are directed to take up all the works on a war footing duly coordinating with the contractors. The officials said that some works were already grounded in Chittoor, Kadapa, Prakasam, Kurnool, Anantapur, Krishna, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts and 27 works have been completed and around 52 works are in progress. Arrangement for the payment of bills to the contractors directly through the bank were made.

The minister said the government has given permission to take up urgent repairs to the tune of Rs 387 crore and works with an estimated cost of Rs 276 crore were completed. He directed SEs to complete the remaining works by February-end.

The government sanctioned Rs 78.24 crore for filling up potholes during this year and decided to complete all the works by March-end. An amount of Rs 155 crore has been sanctioned for taking up repairs to the roads, CD (cross drainage) works and improvements wherever breaches and scours occurred during the heavy rains and floods during this year.

It is targetted to complete all the works by March, 2022. Capital works have been taken up with NIDA (Nabard Infrastructure Development Assistance) and to complete the ongoing plan works, Nabard loan of Rs 1,158 crore has been taken under NIDA.

The government also directed officials to send proposal to Nabard to obtain loan under NIDA-II to complete the 52 ongoing bridge works at a cost of Rs 717 crore.