CM Revanth irked over tardy pace of NH works

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday pulled up the district collectors for delay in land acquisition to develop the national highways in the State.

Reddy asked officials to adopt a humane approach to land acquisition by holding talks with farmers directly. He ordered the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to take up the Hyderabad-Vijayawada (NH-65) six-lane expansion work to begin in two months.

The CM held a review on the problems being faced by the NHAI for the construction of roads in the State. He questioned officials for the delay in the land acquisition despite the government extending all cooperation.

The collectors informed the CM that farmers are not willing to give their lands in view of the variation in prices of lands as the market value of lands is high whereas the registration prices are low. Reddy said farmers are not ready to lose their lands since they have owned them for generations.

The collectors were advised to hold a meeting with farmers and convince them to acquire land. The officials have been asked to pay compensation to farmers whose lands are acquired for the NH as per rules.

The CM also asked officials to take the necessary steps to enter into a tripartite agreement between the government, the Centre, and NHAI to consider the north and south parts of NHAI as one highway. He inquired about the status of land acquisition on the Nagpur-Vijayawada corridor in Khammam district.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka appealed to the NHAI officials to construct service roads at big villages and also underpasses at necessary places so that farmers will go to their fields on the road that is being constructed as part of the Nagpur-Vijayawada corridor; the NHAI accepted the demand. The issue of the transfer of forest lands to develop the Armor-Jagtial-Mancherial and the Vijayawada-Nagpur corridor roads came for discussion in the CM review. Reddy asked the collectors of Nizamabad, Mancherial and Mahabubabad districts to allocate government lands as compensation to the forest lands.

Roads & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy asked NHAI project member Anil Chaudhary to start work immediately as the land acquisition for the expansion of six lanes of the Hyderabad-Vijayawada NH has already been completed in two months.