Accelerate Land Acquisition for National Highways Expansion: CS Vijayanand

Deccan Freedom News

January 21, Tirupati

Chief Secretary (CS) K. Vijayanand directed district collectors, joint collectors, and relevant department officials to expedite land acquisition for the construction and expansion of national highways, including bypass roads. In a video conference held on Tuesday from the state secretariat, the CS reviewed pending issues related to land acquisition and forest clearances for national highway projects with officials from the Revenue, Forest, R&B, and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways departments.

Tirupati District Collector Dr. Venkateshwar S, participating from the district secretariat, assured that measures would be taken to address all pending issues in line with the CS’s instructions.

During the meeting, CS Vijayanand emphasized the importance of timely completion of the land acquisition process to hand over the required land to construction agencies. He instructed the collectors and joint collectors to ensure compensation is provided to affected farmers as per the guidelines and to resolve any challenges promptly.

The CS called for effective coordination among the Revenue, Forest, R&B, and NHAI teams to address bottlenecks and ensure the smooth progress of these priority infrastructure projects. A district-wise review of pending land acquisition and clearances was conducted, and officials were directed to resolve issues swiftly to avoid project delays.

Collector Dr. Venkateshwar S reiterated the commitment to speeding up land acquisition and construction activities for all national highway projects in the district.

Prominent attendees included CCLA G. Jayalakshmi, R&B Principal Secretary Kantilal Dande, Additional PCCF Rahul Pandey, NHAI Regional Officer RK Singh, and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Regional Officer Rakesh Kumar. District collectors and joint collectors from across the state also joined virtually.