Tenders for Amaravati to Anantapur Expressway soon

Guntur: Minister for roads & buildings Chintakayala Ayyannapatrudu said that the government would call for tenders for the construction of 400-km express highway from Amaravati to Anantapur connecting Guntur, Prasakasam, Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur districts. The minister addressed the media here before going to Piduguralla where he participated in ‘Mahasankalapam' public meeting on Thursday.

Highlights:

• R&B minister Ayyanna says govt needs to acquire 25,000 acre land for the 400-km highway
• So far, 42% land acquisition has been completed and tenders will be called after 70% acquisition is done
• Minister says AP stands first in the country in development of roads

“The process of acquiring land for the project has already begun. So far, 42 per cent land has been acquired and tenders can be called only after 70 per cent land is acquired. The entire process will be completed in two months,” he aid.

Ayyannapatrudu said the government had to acquire 25,000 acres of land for the entire project. While the land acquisition costs would be borne by the state government, the Centre would fund the construction of the highway, he said. Replying to a question, he said the state government would take Polavaram Project water to Vizag by June 2018.

Referring to reports of land scam in Vizag, the minister said Deputy Chief Minister and revenue minister K E Krishna Murthy would conduct an open inquiry into land scams in Vizag on June 15. “If anybody has any information regarding the land scams, they may furnish such information to the revenue minister. The government has already ceased the land records too,” he said.

The minister described AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi ‘Moddabbai' (dim-witted person). Referring Raghul’s public meeting in Guntur on Special Category Status, he said the Congress which had divided the state in an unscientific manner, has no moral right to talk about SCS. “They did not include SCS in their state bifurcation bill when they were in power. Now they are making a hug and cry over it. Their dream of coming to power in stat will never come true.

The Centre released more funds to AP than the state could have got under the SCS. AP is attracting far more investments than the states which have SCS,” he said. Referring to three years of TDP rule, Ayyannapatrudu said the government implemented several welfare schemes and took up many developmental works in spite of severe resource crunch.

“The state is No 1 in development of roads in the country. We have laid 11,500 km cement roads in the last three years,” he said.MLA Yarapatineni Srinivasa Rao was also present in the press meet.