Telangana: Land takeover delays hit Rs 24k-crore mega projects

Hyderabad: The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Monday highlighted several hitches coming in the way of taking up and implementing the road and related infrastructure development projects in Telangana.

According to the Union Ministry, 1,076-km roads with an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore are to be awarded under Bharatmala (India's largest-ever infrastructure development programme) Phase-I. About 5,787 hectares of land is required before the awarding of these projects. "Till date, only 160 hectares of land has been acquired, hence award of these mega projects under Bharatmala Phase-I are pending. The State government is asked to take up land acquisition to the tune of 5,627 hectare expediting the process which has been pending since December 2018.

Similarly, the six-lane Aramgarh – Shamshabad Section of NH-44 in Hyderabad needed the attention of the state authorities. The state government is asked to expediate shifting of OHT (High tension) line obstructing work of flyover at Gaganpahad which is pending since April 2018. It is asked to provide 2.78 hectares of land under acquisition on priority for construction of the Four-lane Flyover at Amberpet Cross Road on NH-163. In turn, the appointed date could be issued, and the contractor may start the work which is pending since May 2018.

A six-lane Uppal Elevated Corridor Project on NH-163 has been stuck due to a 0.59 Hectare diversion of forest land proposal pending since May 2019. Also, shifting of electrical utility and land acquisition have been pending since 2018. The Two-lane paved shoulders from Km 679 to Km 700 of Nirmal to Khanapur Section of NH-61 (Extn) needs the clearance of forest department for tree cutting permission.