Guntur development projects worth around Rs 3,000 crore are underway or planned across the city and surrounding areas, Union minister of state for communications and rural development Dr Pemmasani Chandrasekhar said during a campaign visit on Thursday.
The package covers roads, drainage, basic amenities, rail connectivity, healthcare, education, sports infrastructure and lake improvement. Chandrasekhar said the objective was to provide roads, drainage and basic facilities in every colony within three years.
Speaking while campaigning for NDA mayoral candidate Kovelamudi Lakshmi Aparna and corporator candidates in divisions 1, 2, 75 and 76 of Guntur West, the minister said development works worth Rs 20 crore had already been undertaken in two divisions. He made the remarks alongside MLA Mohammed Naseer Ahmed.
The Nandivelugu railway overbridge is among the key transport projects mentioned. Chandrasekhar said the bridge, which was sanctioned in 2014, was expected to be completed by the end of November or the first week of December. Its estimated cost has risen from Rs 10 crore to around Rs 40 crore because of delays, according to the report.
Work on the overbridge was accelerated with Central assistance after the coalition government assumed office, Chandrasekhar said. The project is expected to address a longstanding rail-road connectivity requirement in the Nandivelugu area, although the report does not provide details on the remaining construction work, traffic arrangements or the revised commissioning schedule.
Healthcare proposals and upgrades at Guntur Government General Hospital form another part of the announced package. The minister said a 100-bed cancer hospital was planned or being established and that a PET scan facility costing Rs 20 crore had been planned or established. A Rs 30-crore radiotherapy machine was also proposed with support from ONGC.
The hospital had received 15 ventilators costing Rs 1.5 crore, while defunct air-conditioners, lifts and CT scan equipment had been restored, he said. Laboratory services and facilities for pregnant women and children were also improved. The report does not specify the completion status or operational capacity of each hospital facility.
Other projects cited by the minister include a modern library estimated to cost Rs 20 crore and an upgrade of B.R. Stadium to international standards at a cost of Rs 14 crore. Lake and drainage improvements were also included in the wider development plans, without details of the locations, implementation agencies or construction timelines.
Chandrasekhar also referred to residential construction as a source of employment and support for local businesses. He highlighted welfare measures including monthly pensions of Rs 4,000, Talliki Vandanam, free LPG cylinders and free bus travel for women while seeking support for alliance candidates.
The immediate project milestone identified in the announcement is the targeted completion of the Nandivelugu railway overbridge by the end of November or the first week of December. Further details on the funding, tendering and delivery schedules for the broader Rs 3,000-crore programme were not provided in the report.
