Rs 12,000 Crore R&B Arrears Left Unpaid by Previous Govt: Janardhan Reddy

 Kurnool: Some Rs 12,000 crore in R&B arrears that remained unpaid in recent years are now being cleared by the state government, roads & buildings, infrastructure & investments minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy said on Tuesday.

“After June last, Rs 1,500 crore has already been spent to make 19,000km of roads pothole-free,” he said while speaking at a pension distribution programme in Amadala, Kovelakuntla mandal.

He stated that many C-category roads were severely damaged, and an allocation of Rs 800 crore has been made for their repair.

"People elected MLAs to take up and solve their problems. But, instead of debating issues in the assembly, YSRC leader Jagan Mohan Reddy is running away,” he said.

The minister said YSRCP MLAs who failed to attend the assembly should not be entitled to salaries and allowances. “When we were in opposition, with fewer seats, we actively took up issues in the assembly.”

He said the Panchayat Raj system, “neglected” by the previous government, was now being revived. The previous government failed to build proper roads. As per deputy CM Pawan Kalyan’s directives, cement roads are now being constructed in every village, with over 4,000km of CC roads completed so far.

On major projects, the minister affirmed that Polavaram, the state’s lifeline, has been revived and will be completed soon. “Prime minister Narendra Modi would soon lay the foundation for Amaravati capital reconstruction and the works would be completed within the next two and a half years,” he said.