The so-called “mirror-smooth roads” promised by the Chandrababu-led coalition have turned into death traps filled with potholes and cracks. From cities to villages, Andhra Pradesh’s roads are a symbol of collapse, corruption, and carelessness.
Fake claims, real potholes
The coalition government’s propaganda machinery claims that roads across the state have been repaired and upgraded. But the truth on the ground is devastating; roads are cratered, broken, and unsafe.
Last year, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu made a grand announcement that by January 2025, every road in the state would shine “like a mirror.” The actual allocation for road repairs, however, was a meagre Rs. 860 crore, barely enough to fill a fraction of the potholes.
Now, after the rains, the real condition has been exposed. Every street and every village road tells the same story , deep potholes, eroded edges, and dangerous driving conditions.
Puli Seetha’s comment backfires
A TDP social media activist, Puli Seetha, recently bragged that “milk can be poured and taken back from the roads because they’re so smooth.” The comment exploded online, not in support, but in mockery. Netizens from every district began posting pictures of pothole-ridden roads with biting sarcasm:
- “Not milk, even dung won’t stay on these roads.”
- “Pour milk, you’ll get tea instantly.”
Public anger turned the TDP’s boast into a massive embarrassment, exposing the gap between publicity and performance.
Neglect and diversion during Naidu’s 2014–19 Tenure
Between 2014 and 2019, the Chandrababu Naidu government displayed criminal neglect toward road maintenance. Poor-quality construction, coupled with misuse of funds, left the state’s infrastructure in ruins.
- OnlyRs. 24,000 crore was spent on roads during the five years.
- Rs. 3,000 crore, borrowed specifically for roads, was diverted to the Pasupu–Kunkuma cash scheme just before the 2019 elections.
- Media campaigns painted a false picture of massive development while roads across the state crumbled.
PPP Model: A Toll Trap for Citizens
Now, under the coalition regime, the government has stepped away from directly constructing new roads. Instead, it is pushing the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, paving the way for massive toll collections.
Insiders reveal that TDP leaders themselves are becoming contractors, ready to profit from the toll burden imposed on the public. The government’s focus has shifted from public service to private gain, all under the mask of “infrastructure modernization.”
Even routine pothole-filling events are turned into photo-ops, with Chandrababu and Home Minister Anitha posing atop JCBs for publicity pictures.
YS Jagan’s era: Silent Work, Real Progress
Between 2019 and 2024, under Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s leadership, Andhra Pradesh saw genuine road development without the drama or self-promotion.
- A total of Rs. 43,000 crore was spent on road repairs and new constructions.
- Of this, Rs. 4,648 crore went specifically toward pothole repairs.
- Despite the pandemic halting work for over a year, projects resumed quickly and efficiently.
YS Jagan’s government treated road infrastructure not as a PR tool but as a basic duty toward the people. No hype, no gimmicks, only genuine delivery.
From Propaganda to Potholes
The coalition’s loud promises and glossy advertisements have been buried under the same potholes they failed to fix. Their “development” is visible only on billboards, not on the roads people actually travel.
Andhra Pradesh doesn’t need photo-ops or fake slogans. It needs accountability, integrity, and real work, values that defined Jagan’s tenure, and which the coalition has utterly abandoned.
