Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed state officials to expedite all pending clearances related to road infrastructure projects, with a firm deadline of July-end for resolving issues concerning land acquisition, forest, and wildlife permissions. During a high-level review meeting held at the state secretariat on Monday, Naidu emphasized the need for seamless and round-the-clock progress in the construction of national and state highways to ensure rapid development.

The Chief Minister underscored that roadworks, even in forested areas, must be allowed to continue during nighttime to maintain pace. He pointed out that uninterrupted 24x7 construction activity would lead to timely completion of projects, significantly improving public access and logistics. Reviewing the progress with contractors and officials, Naidu expressed displeasure over delays in certain projects and warned that any further lag would not be tolerated.

According to officials, Andhra Pradesh completed 770 km of national highways last fiscal year under NHAI and MoRTH at a cost of Rs.11,325 crore. This year, the state has set an ambitious target to construct 1,040 km of highways worth Rs.20,067 crore.

Currently, 144 road infrastructure projects are underway across the state covering 3,483 km, under NHAI and MoRTH, with a combined outlay of Rs.76,856 crore. Of these, 1,392 km fall under NHAI and 2,091 km under MoRTH. Andhra Pradesh has a total highway length of 8,744 km – including 4,406 km under NHAI, 641 km under MoRTH PIUs, and 3,697 km under NH (R&B) division.