Varma meets Gadkari over highway projects

Bhimavaram: Union Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday in New Delhi to discuss the progress of national highway projects in Andhra Pradesh.

The meeting comes ahead of Gadkari’s visit to the state on Saturday, where he is scheduled to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for several national highway projects. During the meeting, Varma urged Gadkari to expedite the construction and expansion of national highways in the state, highlighting the inconvenience caused to local residents by the delays.

He specifically brought to Gadkari’s attention the urgent need for two key highway projects within the Narasapuram Lok Sabha constituency: Digamarru - Akividu - Bhimavaram Bypass Road (NH-165), and Narasapuram Bypass Road (part of NH-216, the Kathipudi-Ongole national highway). Varma explained that completing these projects would not only ease traffic congestion in Bhimavaram and Narasapuram towns but also ensure safer travel for commuters.

He emphasised the necessity of immediately restarting the stalled work on the Narasapuram bypass, explaining that these projects are crucial for meeting the transport needs of local residents and boosting the economic development of the Delta region.

According to Varma, Minister Gadkari assured him of the central government’s full cooperation in completing the projects.