Power lines to be fast-tracked in core capital area

Vijayawada: Chief secretary K Vijayanand on Saturday directed the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) and APTransco to expedite the re-routing of existing 400 KV and 220 KV Extra High Tension (EHT) transmission lines passing through the core capital area of Amaravati, in view of the fast-paced development of the capital city. Stressing the need for swift and coordinated execution, the chief secretary said the works must be taken up in a time-bound manner to facilitate unhindered infrastructure development in the core capital zone. The chief secretary reviewed the progress of the works with APCRDA commissioner K Kanna Babu, Transco JMD G Surya Sai Praveenchand and other officials and stakeholders at his camp office in Vijayawada. He assessed the stage-wise progress of ongoing works and discussed the next course of action required for timely completion.

The meeting decided that whenever bottlenecks or implementation issues arise, coordination meetings will be held with the concerned departments and agencies, and corrective measures will be taken promptly. Officials were informed that the works are being closely monitored at the government level, including regular reviews by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, as the projects form part of the government’s flagship Amaravati development programme. Officials explained that the re-routing of the 400 KV and 220 KV transmission lines is being taken up as a deposit-funded work in line with the approved planning framework of APCRDA, following consultations with all stakeholders. The revised alignment has been planned to bypass core development zones and align with designated green buffers and major arterial road corridors, as per the master plan.

The chief secretary instructed officials to speed up execution in a planned and systematic manner while strictly adhering to approved schedules. He directed APCRDA and APTransco to complete the works as per timelines, update progress regularly, and resolve any issues through inter-departmental coordination.

Reiterating that the government is giving special priority to Amaravati development projects, Vijayanand called for continuous field-level monitoring and close coordination to ensure timely completion of the re-routing works.