Prioritise Long-Neglected, Severely Damaged Roads: AP Minister

Vijayawada: Roads and buildings minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy conducted a comprehensive review of New Development Bank (NDB) road projects, stressing the urgent need to expedite construction works across the state. During the review meeting held at the ENC office in Vijayawada on Friday, the minister directed officials and contractors to prioritise severely damaged roads that have remained neglected for years.

The minister assured contractors of swift bill payments to accelerate project completion while maintaining quality standards. “We will expedite pending bill clearances, but contractors must ensure rapid completion of the remaining works without compromising on quality,” he said.

Under the NDB project, 85 road works spanning 682 kilometres have been undertaken with an allocation of `1,680.97 crore. Of these, work has commenced on 546 kilometres, and 236 kilometres have already been completed. Projects worth `932.99 crore have been finished so far. In Phase 1, works valued at `747.98 crore have been completed, with `434 crore already disbursed to contractors. Bills worth ₹161 crore have been uploaded under CFMS, while another `151 crore remain pending. Overall project completion stands at 44.49 per cent. However, six districts recorded completion rates below 50 per cent, requiring stricter monitoring and faster execution.

NDB contractors assured the minister of completing all pending projects by March 2026 and requested early clearance of outstanding payments. The minister confirmed that pending bills would be settled promptly to facilitate progress.

Reddy instructed officials to prepare revised cost estimates for reduced NDB works within 15 days and consider easing bank guarantee requirements for contractors. He also directed priority development of 650 kilometres of previously cancelled NDB and CRIF projects.