Revanth Sets October Deadline for RRR Land Acquisition

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy set an October deadline for completing land acquisition and compensation for national highway projects, including Hyderabad's Regional Ring Road (RRR). At a high-level review at the Secretariat on Monday, he emphasised strict accountability — warning that negligence from collectors, RDOs, or MROs would invite stringent action.

Revanth Reddy said land acquisition should be carried out quickly but with a humane approach, ensuring affected farmers are convinced of the long-term benefits of the road infrastructure. He instructed collectors to resolve arbitration cases without delay and upload finalised lists to the Competent Authority for Land Acquisition (CALA) portals so that funds could be released immediately. He made it clear that any negligence in compensation payment would not be tolerated.

The Chief Minister also held detailed discussions on the RRR project. Questioning NHAI officials about repeated objections despite earlier clarifications, he urged them to submit all pending queries at once instead of piecemeal replies. He further instructed that the RRR North and South segments should not be treated as separate projects and pressed for immediate approvals to launch both simultaneously. NHAI assured him of cooperation and agreed to consider the continuation of numbering for both stretches.

Revanth Reddy pushed for faster clearances to the Bharat Future City-Amaravati-Machilipatnam 12-lane Greenfield Highway, highlighting its strategic importance in linking the capitals of the two Telugu states and reducing the Hyderabad-Vijayawada distance by nearly 70 km. He said the project would enhance cargo movement, logistics, industrial parks and dry ports while generating revenue and improving traffic, unmatched by any other national highway. He recalled that the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, mandated a Greenfield corridor between the two Telugu states and urged its inclusion under PM Gati Shakti or another central programme.

He also proposed a parallel rail line between Bengaluru, Shamshabad Airport and Amaravati to strengthen connectivity, facilitating Vande Bharat and other services. Stressing pilgrim safety and convenience, he sought immediate approvals for an elevated corridor between Raviryala and Mannanur on the Hyderabad–Srisailam stretch, citing the heavy pilgrim inflow to the Srisailam temple and reservoir.

On pending highway proposals such as Hyderabad–Manneguda, Hyderabad-Mancherial-Nagpur, Mancherial-Warangal-Khammam-Vijayawada, Armoor-Jagitial-Mancherial and Jagitial-Karimnagar, he directed collectors to resolve compensation issues, expedite court cases and coordinate with the advocate general within a week. Collectors pointed to delays in the fund release from CALA, but NHAI officials clarified that funds would be released immediately upon uploading verified lists, urging faster work at the district level.

Revanth Reddy also reviewed hurdles from the forest and environment departments, particularly the denial of permissions, citing past violations between 2002 and 2022. Expressing displeasure, he directed the Chief Secretary to provide detailed reports and promised to offer alternative lands for afforestation. He said he would personally take up the issue with Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Bhupender Yadav to secure quick clearances. He noted that even in non-wildlife forest areas, provisions of the Wildlife Act were being applied, causing further delays. The Chief Minister assured that the state would bear the necessary costs for wildlife mitigation measures if required and asked the PCCF to fast-track approvals.

Meanwhile, NHAI officials requested two acres of land in Hyderabad for constructing their office. The Chief Minister responded positively and instructed officials to identify suitable land and initiate the process immediately.