Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy scolded district collectors for taking too long to acquire land for developing national highways in the State. He told officials to talk directly with farmers and take a more compassionate approach to land acquisition. Reddy also instructed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to start the six-lane expansion work on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway within two months.
During a review meeting, the CM questioned why land acquisition was delayed despite the government’s support. Collectors explained that farmers were hesitant to give up their land because of discrepancies between market value and registration prices. Reddy emphasized that farmers are attached to their land, which has been in their families for generations.
To address the issue, collectors were advised to meet with farmers and explain the benefits of land acquisition. They were also instructed to compensate farmers according to regulations. The CM also urged officials to facilitate a tripartite agreement between the government, NHAI, and the Centre to streamline highway development in the north and south regions.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka requested that service roads and underpasses be built in key areas along the Nagpur-Vijayawada corridor to ensure farmers can access their fields. NHAI agreed to this request. The review also touched on transferring forest lands for road development projects, with Reddy directing collectors to allocate government lands as compensation in Nizamabad, Mancherial, and Mahabubabad districts.
Roads & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy urged NHAI project member Anil Chaudhary to expedite work on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway expansion, as land acquisition had already been completed within two months.
