The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Rs. 1,300 cr. for four-laning of NH-9

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 15, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Rs. 1,300 cr. for four-laning of NH-9

Special Correspondent

Project to cover 181-km stretch between Hyderabad and Vijayawada

- PHOTO: R. Biksham Ruther

For a cause: Leaders of Opposition parties blocking NH-9 demanding widening of the road at Narketpally in Nalgonda district on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: Union Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy on Wednesday announced the approval of the Rs. 1,300 crore project for four-laning the 181 km stretch of Hyderabad-Vijayawada National Highway 9, even as the Opposition blocked this important road to press this long pending demand.

At a press conference here, Mr. Reddy said the project had been approved by the high-powered Public Private Partnership Approval Committee. It would be taken up as part of the National Highway Development Programme Phase –III on Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis on public-private partnership mode. Of the 275 km distance between Hyderabad and Vijayawada, four-laning was completed for 40 km from Hyderabad to Malkapuram and 54 km from Vijayawada to Nandigama leaving the remaining 181 km, he said. The project per se is estimated to cost Rs. 1,170 crore while land acquisition Rs. 130 crore. Six bypasses were proposed at Narketpally, Nakrekal, Akupamula, Kodad, Sheikhmohammedpet and Nawabpet.

On the ongoing agitation, Mr. Reddy saw nothing wrong in political parties taking up such issues. He denied that there was delay in approval of the project saying the environmental clearance was received only in May this year. The proposal would now go to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and after its approval in two weeks time, bids will be called and the project would be completed in two years.

Nalgonda Staff Reporter writes: The hour-long blockade of the busy NH brought traffic to a grinding halt. Workers of the TDP, CPI (M), CPI, TRS, MIM and the CPI-ML (New Democracy) squatted on the 160-km stretch of the NH-9 in the district. Gutta Sukhender Reddy of the TDP, Nandhyala Narasimha Reddy of the CPI (M), M.Adi Reddy of the CPI, Goli Madhusudan Reddy of the BJP, Chakilam Anil Kumar of the TRS, Khaleem of the MIM and K. Parvatalu of the CPI (ML) New Democracy were among the leaders who participated in the blockade in front of Narketpalli bus depot.

Traffic came to a standstill right from Chowtuppal to Kodad for an hour.

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