Hans News Service Bhimavaram

UnionMinister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma has assured that the construction of the Railway over Bridge (ROB) at Undi will be completed on a fast-track basis and opened for public use by the Dasara festival.

The Minister inspected the ongoing construction works at the project site on Wednesday and reviewed the progress with officials. He sought an explanation for the delays in execution and was briefed on the status of the project. Officials informed him that while three bridge slabs are to be laid as part of the project, two have already been completed. They said work on the third slab is awaiting approval fromthe Railway Department. Responding to the issue, Srinivasa Varma said he would take up the matter with senior railway authorities and ensure that the required permissions are granted within three days so that construction can proceed without further delay.

Speaking to the media, the Minister said technical issues had arisen after the previous contractor failed to execute the work. He stated that the matter was brought to the attention of Union Ministers and senior officials, following which a new contractor was appointed, resulting in faster progress of the project. He directed officials to ensure that all remaining works are completed by October.The Minister also said he would secure approval for a halt of the Machilipatnam–Visakhapatnam Express at Undi Railway Station, a long-pending demand of local residents.