AP Seeks Centre’s Support For Highway Expansion

The minister said that with coordination between the NDA government at the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the coalition government in the state led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, NH projects in Andhra Pradesh are progressing steadily. He urged the Centre to accelerate approvals, implementation and resolution of pending issues.

During the meeting, attended by R&B Special Chief Secretary M. T. Krishna Babu, the minister presented a Tirumala Venkateswara Swamy idol to the secretary and sought continued cooperation. Discussions focused on ongoing NH works, expansion plans and bottlenecks such as land acquisition, forest clearances and revenue-related issues.

Janardhan Reddy said the state has constituted a dedicated task force to fast-track clearances and resolve pending hurdles. He also sought approval for widening a two-lane road to four lanes at Banaganapalle in Nandyal district at a cost of ₹60 crore.

He requested early sanction and implementation of key NH projects for 2025–26, including four-laning works on NH-165 (Akiveedu–Digamarru), NH-216 (up to Amalapuram–Ravulapalem), NH-42 (Mudigubba–Kadiri) and NH-716 (Muddanur–Kadapa). Proposals also include a four-lane tunnel on NH-40 (Kadapa–Rayachoti) and a Chittoor bypass.

Uma Shankar assured that the proposals would be considered for early clearances. The minister said the projects would improve connectivity, ease traffic congestion and support regional development.

Senior officials, including AP Bhavan Resident Commissioner Praveen Kumar and MoRTH Regional Officer Harikrishna, were present.