Hyderabad: Land acquisition for RRR to be a tough task

Hyderabad: The proposed 339-km-long prestigious Regional Ring Road (RRR) is facing hurdles in the form of land acquisition. Though the Centre had approved the alignment of northern corridor, the acquisition of land would be a tough task for the government as the leaders are pitching to save villages which have been notified under the land acquisition. Besides, the approval for southern corridor would take some more time until the survey of vehicular traffic volume was completed.

The four-lane express way project would be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 7,512 crore under Bharatmala programme by the Union government.

Officials said that the northern corridor covering 158.46 km connecting Sangareddy, Narsapur, Toopran, Gajwel, Jagdevpur, Bhongir, Yadadri and Chouttuppal had already been approved. It requires 4,000 acres of land in four districts i.e., Sangareddy, Medak, Siddipet and Yadadri– Bhongir. Nearly, 80 villages to be affected during the process of land acquisition.

The officials further informed that villagers were insisting the ruling party leaders in Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's Gajwel constituency, Finance Minister T Harish Rao's Siddipet segment and the local MLAs of Bhongir and Narsapur to save their costly lands from acquisition by changing the alignment of the corridor. The implementing agency, National Highways Authority of India, which is busy finalising the survey numbers to acquire lands, has been flooding with requests from local peoples representatives to save villages from land acquisition.

Sources also added that the State government has been given the responsibility of land acquisition and the government would address the grievances of local people in consultation with the Central authorities.

"It is not easy to acquire 4,000 acres of land as the prices of land have gone up manifold in the recent months. Farmers are not ready to give up their costly lands at a throwaway prices. The issue is under examination," officials said.

Meanwhile, the government had already appointed district-wise staff to complete the land acquisition in two months. Sources said that unless the grievances of locals are addressed, the acquisition would be a tough affair.

The southern corridor, which covers over 181 km, is also under resurvey after the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways raised doubts over the viability of the project. The traffic volume on the proposed stretch is not more than 6,000 and it required to re-examine the project. Once the resurvey is completed, the Centre will issue the gazette notification and then land acquisition would be taken up, informed the officials.