1,700 km PR roads damaged

Over 1,700 km of roads maintained by panchayat raj department were damaged in TS due to the recent rains. The department has estimated that it would require `318 crore to repair the 1,524 damaged roads.

Medak district was the worst affected.

Minister for panchayat raj and rural development Jupally Krishna Rao reviewed the extent of damage caused to roads on account of recent rains with officials at Secretariat on Thursday.

Officials told the minister that roads that got damaged badly can be temporarily restored by spending `49.61 crore.

The minister approved sanctioning of the amount and asked officials to take temporary repair works on a war footing.

While Medak district topped the state with highest number of roads getting damaged at 402, 358 roads were damaged in Nalgonda, followed by Ranga Reddy (225), Mahbubnagar (192), Warangal (91), Khammam (91), Adilabad (53), Karimnagar (29) and Nizamabad (83).

Besides, 73 buildings belonging to the department were also damaged. Officials said `2.89 crore is required to renovate these buildings.

Mr Rao directed officials to clear all nala encroachments in Ranga Reddy district immediately. He also sought a report on illegal buildings and layouts in RR district within 10 days and told officials to demolish them.

He directed them to initiate stringent action against panchayat raj staff responsible for issuing approvals to such illegal buildings and layouts.