Vijayawada: Admitting that poor upkeep of roads and bridges had caused severe inconvenience to the public, roads, buildings, investments and infrastructure minister B C Janardhan Reddy assured the Assembly on Monday that the government has launched a comprehensive programme to make Andhra Pradesh pothole-free.

Unguturu MLA P Dharma Raju first raised the issue, followed by members Bolisetti Srinivas, Bode Prasad, Bandaru Satyananda Rao, Pulapurti Ramamjaneyulu, and Kamineni Srinivas, who highlighted the hardships faced by the public due to poor maintenance of roads and bridges.

The minister alleged that the previous government had ignored road development and maintenance. “Except for works initiated earlier, no new roads were taken up under the R&B Department in the last regime. Due to inexperience and negligence, people suffered for five years,” he said.

Reddy informed that soon after assuming office, the present government allocated Rs 1,080 crore to repair damaged stretches. However, unpaid loans worth Rs 1,980 crore from the previous government led to the loss of an opportunity to develop 2,500 km of roads. “The sins of the past government are now haunting the present coalition,” he remarked.

Outlining future plans, he said the government is not only repairing potholes but also upgrading single-layer roads. After the monsoon season, additional projects will be taken up. Across the state, 352 bridges require reconstruction at an estimated cost of Rs 1,430 crore, and efforts are on to secure funds from the 16th Finance Commission. “We also plan to establish a dedicated corporation for speedy execution of road projects,” he added.