Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu rides a tractor during the launch of a mission to fill potholes of roads, in Anakapalli district.
Credit: PTI Photo
Vennelapalem: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday launched a mission to achieve pothole-free roads in the state here, at a cost of Rs. 861 crore.
Kickstarting the state-wide mission from Vennelapalem village in Anakapalli district, the Chief Minister personally repaired a pothole by filling it with mortar. Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha was among those present in the event.
Later, a large pothole was also fixed in his presence by dumping material onto it by a truck. Naidu himself picked up a spade and levelled the pothole to give a fillip to the repair works in the state.
Addressing a public meeting at Vennelapalem Naidu said, "We laid the foundation for pothole-free roads here. It should be our goal to have pothole-free roads. Remember one thing, for five years he (Jagan) dug potholes and now we started the programme to fill them."
Calling the roads laid under the YSRCP regime between 2019 and 2024 as 'highways to hell', the Naidu insisted that if roads were not repaired regularly, they would pose dangers to the lives of people travelling over them.
Ridiculing former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for allegedly failing to spend money on road infrastructure, Naidu called him out for splurging up to Rs 450 crore on a palatial mansion at Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam instead.
According to Naidu, roads are a symbol of civilisation, which attract industries, enable development, bring jobs and also facilitate quick travel. He noted that good road infrastructure also reduces transport costs and saves time, among several other benefits.
Naidu tasked Roads and Buildings Minister BC Janardhan Reddy and officials to ensure that no pothole exists on the state's roads by Sankranthi festival. Further, he assured that there would be no village without a cement road in the next five years and said good days have started and good roads from Vennelapalem village.
He noted that the state government would draft a plan to further comprehensively develop the road infrastructure in the state apart from repairing the pothole, over the next five years.
After reviewing Rs 76,000 crore worth national highway works being carried out in the state, Naidu said he directed officials to complete them in two and a half years' time.
The CM said that another Rs 50,000 crore would be spent on Vijayawada eastern bypass road, Kuppam - Hosur - Bengaluru road, coastal road from Mulapeta to Bhogapuram and Amaravati outer ring road (ORR), all of which would be eight-lane roads.
Taking together both the national highways projects and these state road projects, the CM said Rs 1.25 lakh crore would be spent on roads alone in the state over the next five years.
Noting that roadways should be complemented by railways, Naidu said railway infrastructure is also being developed at a cost of Rs 72,000 crore in the next five years.
The CM has also warned that stringent action would be taken against those who commit atrocities against women. "There are some rogues in society. Horrible people. Are they humans or animals for raping 4-year-olds. If the law allows, a couple of them should be hanged in the middle of the road. Only then they will fear," he said.
Naidu's comments come in the wake of a minor girl's rape and murder in Tirupati district by her uncle. Vowing not to spare such people, the CM said he would take measures to ensure that they tremble and the day of committing an atrocity against a woman would be their last day.