Bhoomi puja performed for Benz Circle flyover.

Bhoomi puja was performed for the much-awaited Benz Circle flyover recently.

Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao recalled that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation for widening of the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam road in November last year. The Benz Circle flyover project was taken as part of the road widening work.

The government set a target to complete the Kanaka Durga flyover by December and Benz Circle flyover by 2018, he said.

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas said the 1.47-km flyover was designed beautifully to suit the traffic needs of the city. The project would be completed in two phases and is estimated to cost ₹220 crore.

The Kanaka Durga and the Benz Circle flyovers would solve the traffic problems in the city. As much as ₹4,000 crore had been granted for various developmental works in the city during the last three years, he said.

Firing salvoes at the Transport Department, the MP lamented that though he brought the issue of illegal operations of sleeper buses to the notice of officials earlier, no action was taken.

The Arunachal Pradesh government cancelled the registrations, but many buses were still plying on the roads of Andhra Pradesh.

The Karnataka government seized 31 buses which were not in accordance with laid down rules, and registrations were cancelled by the Arunachal Pradesh government, he said.

“What is the Transport Department here doing? Why are the officials not taking any action against the buses that are plying illegally?” he asked.

The victims would not get any compensation or insurance claim in case these buses met with an accident.

The TDP government would be at the receiving end if any accident took place in the State, he lamented.

Vijayawada (East) MLA Gadde Rammohan said the Benz Circle flyover would emerge as a gateway of Amaravati.

THE HINDU