Poornapadu-Labesu bridge- incomplete for 15 years, finally NDA govt accord administrative sanction of Rs 15.8 crore

VISAKHAPATNAM: After years of protests from locals and various associations, the NDA govt finally accorded administrative sanction for constructing a bridge across Nagavali River between Poornapadu and Labesu in Komarada mandal of Kurupam constituency in Parvathipuram Manyam district.

The incomplete bridge works will be completed at Rs15.8 crore. However, the locals expressed doubts over the commitment of the government citing that the successive governments failed to complete the much needed project.The Purnapadu-Labesu Bridge, which connects over 60 villages to Komarada headquarters in Manyam district, had remained incomplete for the past few decades. The villagers have been risking their lives to cross the River during the rainy season for the past few decades.

The bridge will become a vital link for the people and will help thousands of people have better connectivity.The Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department issued a govt order and accorded the re-revised administration sanction for the construction of a high level bridge across Nagavali River between Poornapadu and Labesu for an amount of Rs15.8 crore against the revised administrative sanction of Rs14 crore.

Construction work for the bridge commenced over 15 years ago, but the bridge remains incomplete. Going to schools, hospitals and nearby markets during the rainy season has become a difficult task for many people in Komarada Mandal due to the incomplete bridge.The construction of a bridge in Andhra Pradesh was halted after approximately 50 per cent completion. The Andhra Pradesh govt had sanctioned the bridge in 2006 at an estimated cost of Rs3.5 crore, but construction stalled due to various reasons.

Following the division of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the TDP govt, led by then Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, escalated the bridge estimate to Rs7 crore and restarted the works when Kurupam MLA Pushpa Srivani undertook a protest in 2016.

However, the project came to a halt once again after completing around 50 per cent of the works.Deploring the inordinate delay in the bridge's completion, the Purnapadu-Labesu Vanthena Sadhana Samiti led by its convenor K Samba Murthy has been protesting for completion of the bridge.Speaking to TOI, Samba Murthy said politicians of successive governments came and went, but after every leader, irrespective of party, ignored the long pending demand of the villagers for a bridge over the River. Expressing little joy over the government accorded administrative sanction for constructing a bridge, he demanded the NDA government to release the funds for the Poornapadu- Labesu bridge without any delay and complete the bridge.