Rs 100 cr special package for Konaseema roads

Amalapuram: Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan announced that an additional special package of Rs 100 crore, apart from the Palle Panduga 2.0 funds, will be allotted for road development in Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district. He launched the state-level Palle Panduga 2.0 celebrations and unveiled a pylon at Sivakodu village on Wednesday. He also viewed a photo exhibition showcasing works completed under Palle Panduga 1.0. Speaking at a public meeting, Pawan Kalyan said the government has launched Palle Panduga 2.0 with a budget of Rs 6,787 crore, which includes construction, reconstruction and repair of 8,571 kms of new and existing roads at an estimated cost of Rs 5,838 crore. He said that the programmes are moving steadily towards realising Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of Gram Swaraj.

He promised to complete the unfinished Shiva temple at Koonavaram within a year, using his personal funds along with Endowments Department support. He said the government is committed to both welfare schemes and employment generation for the youth. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu aims to create an entrepreneur from every household, he added. The government introduced the P4 Scheme as part of its mission to eradicate poverty, he said. Pawan Kalyan stated that the Konaseema region has natural beauty similar to Kerala and holds great potential for tourism development. He said the railway line would also come up soon. Expressing personal attachment to the constituency, he said Razole marked the beginning of his political journey, making it a special place for him. District collector R Mahesh Kumar said Rs 71 crore worth of development works were taken up in the district through Palle Panduga 1.0.

MLA Deva Varaprasad highlighted the severe issues caused by silt accumulation in the Shankaraguptham major drain, where 8 km of blockage has led to the spread of seawater. He said nearly one lakh coconut trees perished due to salinity intrusion. The drain, which runs 23 kms from Chintalamori to the Godavari, has become a major concern as 60 village panchayats are facing water contamination and drinking water shortages. He described the Shankaraguptham drain as the “sorrow of Razole.”

MP Ganti Harish Madhur, MLAs Aitabathula Ananda Rao and Giddi Satyanarayana, Rural Development Department Principal Secretary Shashibhushan Kumar, Joint Collector Nishanthi, and RDO K Madhavi were present.