Visakhapatnam: First free bus service in Maoist-dominated region

Visakhapatnam: People in the Maoist-affected Korukonda region get to access the first bus service for free of cost.

Thanks to the Visakhapatnam district police Chintapalli sub-division for initiating the free bus service from Annavaram village to Korukonda.

Known to be the LWE-affected area, the region has so far been deprived of the transport facility due to bad roads coupled with the Maoists' threat.

With the police department repairing the 9-km stretch of road from Annavaram to Rallagadda, filling all the potholes and making the road suitable for bus travel, the bus service is facilitated for the first time along the route.

Close to 3,000-plus people can utilise the transport facility as the bus is going to make three-four trips a day from Annavaram village to Korukonda.

Meanwhile, road repair works were being carried out at Cheruvuru, another Maoist-dominated place, to facilitate an ambulance service. "This is the first time the area gets an ambulance service," explained Vidhya Sagar Naidu, ASP Chintapalli, after inaugurating the first bus at Korukonda on Monday.

The ASP mentioned that the road development works were initiated following the instructions of Visakhapatnam district Superintendent of Police B Krishna Rao. The initiative aims at developing the Balapam panchayat and Korukonda region, he adds.

It may be recalled that people of Balapam Panchayat participated in the panchayat elections after 15 years despite the Maoists urging them to boycott the elections.