Road Work Begins 11 Months After Launch in Tribal Area

VISAKHAPATNAM: After an 11-month wait and sustained protests by tribal residents, road construction connecting Dasari Thota to Mettapalem in Alluri Sitarama Raju district finally commenced on Sunday, bringing relief to the Gadaba Adivasi community.

The Panchayat Raj (Projects) Department began work on the 4-km bituminous (BT) road, estimated at ₹3.77 crore. The project had been inaugurated nearly a year ago by Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan but remained stalled, triggering growing frustration among villagers.

Mettapalem, located in Chilakala Gadda panchayat of Ananthagiri mandal, is home to a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). Residents had repeatedly appealed for the work to begin, especially ahead of the monsoon, but received no response, leading to protests.

On Saturday, villagers intensified their agitation by organising a ‘Doli Yatra’ in Visakhapatnam to highlight their plight. Within a day, officials initiated the long-pending construction.

CPI(M) leader K. Govinda Rao said the road was more than just infrastructure, as it would improve access, mobility and basic connectivity for the tribal community. Villagers Shobha, Shiva and Madhu expressed gratitude to the media for consistently highlighting their issue, which they said helped push authorities into action.