Resolve land acquisition issues swiftly: Collector S Venkateswar

Tirupati: District Collector Dr S Venkateswar urged National High-ways Authority of India (NHAI) and revenue officials to focus on resolving land acquisition issues and accelerating construction work.

The directive was issued during a virtual review meeting on Tuesday, which was attended by Joint Collector Shubham Bansal, Gudur sub-collector Raghavendra Meena and other officials.

The Collector emphasised the importance of speeding up the construction of key national highway projects, includ-ing the Kadapa–Renigunta, Tirupati–Madanapalle and Renigunta–Naidupeta six-lane roads.

He also called for the rapid completion of the Tirupati by-pass road (Kaluru cross to Renigunta) and suggested initi-ating the four-lane road expansion between Renigunta and Chennai. Officials were instructed to swiftly address land acquisition hurdles to avoid delays.

In addition, the Collector highlighted the progress required for road projects near Krishnapatnam Port. This includes the six-lane Naidupeta–Thoorpu Kanupur stretch (35 km), the four-lane Chilakur Cross to East Kanpur road and the six-lane road connecting East Kanpur to the Krishnapat-nam Port South Gate (36 km). He also pointed out the need to complete the four-lane greenfield road linking Thamminapatnam to Narikellapalle and the six-lane port road extension (16 km) within the set timelines. These developments, he noted, would significantly benefit the industrial sector by improving transportation infrastruc-ture.

Dr Venkateswar instructed officials to clear pending land acquisition awards promptly, ensuring they align with legal regulations. Regarding the Chennai National Highway 205 expansion, the Collector stressed the importance of initiat-ing land acquisition for new proposals. He also directed of-ficials to remove any obstacles hindering land acquisition for the Nadikudi–Srikalahasti railway project. Progress on land acquisition for the Tirupati–Pakala railway double line was also reviewed, with instructions to avoid delays.

The meeting was attended by district revenue officer Narasimhulu, NHAI project directors Venkatesh (Tirupati), MK Chowdary (Nellore) and Ravindra Rao (Chennai), along with other officials.