The Nagpur–Mancherial–Warangal–Khammam–Vijayawada greenfield highway is set to be completed by December 31, 2027, according to Telangana Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. The Minister provided this update while addressing the Telangana Legislative Council on Saturday, responding to queries raised by MLCs Pochampally Srinivas Reddy and M. Kodandaram.
The 310-kilometre highway is a crucial connectivity project, with nearly 280 kilometres falling within Telangana’s boundaries. The project will connect several districts and serve as an important link for people travelling from Telangana towards Nagpur and Vijayawada. The Minister assured that the State government would take immediate steps to ensure an exit on the highway close to Parkal for the convenience of local residents, with instructions to be issued to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials.
The Mancherial–Warangal section has been divided into packages with tenders already awarded. Letters of Award were issued on March 31, 2023, followed by agreements on May 23. The project was originally scheduled for completion within 730 days, but faced delays due to land acquisition issues, court cases, and other factors. The contractor has since been granted an extension of time with the revised completion target set for December 2027.
Addressing concerns over land acquisition, Minister Venkat Reddy stated that almost all land acquisition issues have been resolved. Only minor issues involving small stretches of land remain pending, which will be settled shortly. He assured that farmers would not be subjected to any injustice and compensation would be paid in accordance with market rates. Land handover is pending only at one or two locations, involving stretches of about 1 to 1.30 kilometres at one place and 5.7 kilometres in another package.
The Minister clarified the division of responsibilities between the State government and central agencies. The State government is responsible for land acquisition, while the construction work is being executed entirely under the NHAI. The State government will coordinate with NHAI to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest to ensure smooth progress of the project.
Minister Venkat Reddy also referred to a review of the project conducted by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on May 26. The Union Minister underscored the importance of the highway for Telangana, particularly for connectivity to Nagpur, highlighting the strategic significance of this infrastructure project for the region.
