In Srirangapuram mandal, the Kanugula stream runs between the villages of Bunyadipur and Janampet. It must be crossed every day by the people of Venkatapur, Janampet, and Bunyadipur villages in order to farm, use the national highway, or go to Pebbair and Srirangapuram. On the other side of the creek are around 200 acres of farmland owned by the farmers of Janampet.

They had to take a 12-kilometer detour via Sugur since it is difficult to cross the creek during the wet season. The distance may be cut to only 2 kilometers with a bridge. It is now difficult to bring in harvested crops or move laborers. The irrigation department produced ideas to address this.

With an estimated cost of ~1.68 crore, the bridge’s construction was authorized by the previous government in 2009. However, the project was delayed when elections were declared before construction could start. After funding was approved in 2011, construction began, although it moved slowly forward. Even though piers had been half constructed by 2014, the project was put on hold due to concerns about subpar workmanship. Villagers and local authorities repeatedly asked for the work to restart, but it never did.

Although the quality control department gathered samples in 2018 and verified poor construction, neither a cancellation nor a fresh project proposal were implemented. The job was subcontracted by the winning contractor. Initial progress was made, but then there were complaints. The Janampet bridge is still unfinished after 12 years, and the use of the funds is unclear.

After an examination, it was revealed that money had been embezzled, quality requirements had not been fulfilled, and the designs were defective. Corruption claims are common, and government reactions are yet unknown. Due to quality concerns, construction was stopped, but payments were still made, which sparked outrage.

An officer from the irrigation department said, when questioned, that they did not have any records of bills, measuring book (MB) data, or other information pertaining to the bridge. When contacted, a different authority verified that the contractor had received warnings for unfinished work and that payments had been provided; however, no answer had been received. The previous administration approved `10 lakh for a temporary bridge last year due to the challenges residents were facing. However, additional hardship resulted from damage to the approach road during the wet season. Travel is now possible, however difficulties due to the rain are unavoidable.

Locals call for a thorough inquiry to uncover the truth and bring those at fault accountable. They demand that a new bridge be built and the existing one be abandoned. Venkateshwar Reddy, a former sarpanch, emphasized the advantages for farmers and asked the government to give the bridge’s construction first priority. Officials have been contacted several times, but the job is still incomplete. To guarantee the project’s completion, he urged the collector to get in right now.