Amaravati works progressing

 Vijayawada: Urban development minister P. Narayana has said the state government is resolving land pooling-related issues village by village in the Amaravati region and speeding up the capital construction works.

The minister asserted on Friday that despite the challenges in the past, the government was now addressing farmers’ concerns systematically. Land pooling was being undertaken for key infrastructure projects, including the International Sports City, Inner Ring Road, railway station and railway track.

Ponguru Narayana inspected several construction sites in the capital area, including the ministers’ bungalows under construction at Rayapudi.

He also inaugurated a steel fabrication unit set up for manufacturing the diagrid required for the GAD Tower being constructed at Nelapadu.

Narayana told the media that land pooling was being carried out across 16,667 acres. Farmers in the respective villages were willing to hand over land to the government. As a result, construction activity in the capital has gained pace.

The minister said works on the 350-km of trunk roads and 1,500-km of layout roads were progressing. Alongside road construction, underground drainage systems, drinking water pipelines, sewerage lines and power infrastructure were also being laid at a brisk pace, he said.

While housing projects for government officials and employees were under way, construction of offices by private institutions had also gained momentum, he stated.

Narayana said the construction of 25 bungalows for principal secretaries, 90 for secretaries, 35 for ministers and 36 for judges was progressing. In addition, 288 houses for MLAs and MLCs, 144 houses for All India Service officers, 1,968 houses for NGOs, and 1,440 houses for gazetted and Group-D employees were under construction. Out of a total of 4,026 houses, about 3,500 houses would be completed by March end and handed over to officials in April.

On the proposed railway station, Narayana said the government was yet to receive details from the authorities regarding the extent of land required.