Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) chairperson MV Pranav Gopal mentioned that the development of roads in all the constituencies under VMRDA is being given top priority. Inaugurating and laying foundation stone for various development works worth Rs.75 crore in Pendurthi constituency here on Sunday along with VMRDA Commissioner KS Vishwanathan and Pendurthi MLA Panchakarla Ramesh Babu, Pranav Gopal stated that VMRDA is playing a key role in developing Visakhapatnam as per the orders of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

He mentioned that the construction of Pinagadi-Vepagunta road was neglected by the previous government. “But the coalition government would develop the stretch,” he informed. Earlier, the VMRDA Master Plan 2047 was drafted in favour of the YSRCP leaders and it will be revised as per the requirements of the people, the VMRDA chairperson assured.

Speaking on the occasion, Pendurthi MLA Panchakarla Ramesh Babu stated that the VMRDA chairperson and the Commissioner allocated funds for the construction of roads in the constituency soon after the request was placed for the same. The MLA mentioned that people faced several hardships during the YSRCP’s regime.

VMRDA Commissioner KS Viswanathan informed that the MLA took special care in ensuring sanction of funds for the construction of the Vepagunta-Pinagadi road. He informed that the construction of the road will be completed in six months. As part of the development works, a convention centre, built at Cheemalapalli at a cost of Rs 8 crore, was inaugurated.

A foundation stone for the expansion work of the 3.12-km long and 60-ft wide road, which was a long-standing dream of the people of the Vepagunta-Pinagadi area, was laid at a cost of Rs.15 crore.

Also, foundation stone was laid for the construction of a 100-ft wide master plan road connecting Lankelapalem - Anakapalli and Duvvada railway station road at a cost of Rs.31 crore and another 60-foot-wide master plan road from Duvvada railway station - Gollalapalem to Amruthapuram, at a cost of Rs 24.5 crore. The construction work of a 40-foot BT road from Anakapalli National Highway to Sabbavaram Government Degree College was initiated at a cost of Rs.58.5 lakh. Supervising engineers Bhavani Shankar and Madhusudhana Rao, Executive Engineers Ramaraju and Sudheer were present.