AP to become pothole-free: Minister BC Janardhan Reddy

Andhra Pradesh is on track to become a pothole-free state, with the government committed to repairing damaged roads across the state, said BC Janardhan Reddy, Minister for Roads, Buildings, Investments, and Infrastructure.

The minister highlighted that in just five months, the government has completed repairs on badly damaged roads with an investment of ₹1,081 crore, making significant progress toward a pothole-free state.

Speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the State Road Development Corporation members at the R&B Executive Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) office in Amaravati on Sunday, Janardhan Reddy urged the newly appointed members to fully cooperate in government efforts to improve roads.

He criticized the previous government for neglecting road maintenance, which left thousands of kilometers of state roads in poor condition. “As soon as the coalition government came to power, under Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s leadership, we prioritized road development,” he said. “Despite financial constraints, roads that were long neglected are now receiving proper attention.”

Janardhan Reddy also noted that the government has already undertaken road development works worth nearly ₹2,500 crore and has issued tenders for additional projects totaling ₹1,000 crore, which will begin soon.

Road development through PPP model

The minister explained that the government is actively exploring ways to improve roads without putting a financial burden on citizens. For this, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model is being considered. He added that the Chief Minister reviews road-related projects regularly, coordinating funding through banks such as NABARD and New Development Bank (NDB) to ensure timely implementation.

The ceremony, chaired by Andhra Pradesh Road Development Corporation (APRDC) Chairman Pragada Nageswar Rao, saw 16 new corporation members taking their oath. Minister Reddy congratulated them and honored them with shawls. He assured that the RTC members are responsible for addressing road issues in their local areas and promised to intervene whenever necessary.

Chairman Nageswar Rao called on the members to actively contribute to the state’s development and uphold the government’s reputation. AP RTC MD L. Srinivas Reddy and other officials were also present at the event.