Nearly 75% works of the expansion of the National Highway-65 between Machilipatnam and Vijayawada have been completed by mid August and the they are likely to be completed by June 2018. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has initially fixed the target of completing the project — four-lane road on a stretch of 64.61 km — by November 2018. Dilip Builcon Limited has been awarded the project worth ₹1,134 crore.
“The expansion of the two-lane road into four-lane road will mostly likely to be completed by June 2018, given the present pace of the works,” Krishna District Collector B. Lakshmikantam told The Hindu . The expansion works began in November 2016, to ensure better road connectivity between Machilipatnam and Vijayawada in the wake of the proposed industrial corridor and deep sea port.
The State government has set up the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority (LARRA) headed by a judge. It will hear the appeals of those displaced by the highway project.
The authority will start function from August 20 in Vijayawada, Mr. Lakshmikantam said.
Those who seek more compensation for the land and any construction that was acquired for the highway road project would be allowed to approach the LARR Authority for fair compensation. “We have deposited above ₹500 crore towards offering compensation to the eligible parties/individuals/farmers in the list of 36 villages in which the Machilipatnam-Vijayawada expansion project is proposed,” a senior NHAI official associated with the project told The Hindu on Friday.
‘Low package’
Many of the displaced and small farmers belonging to Guduru and Pamarru mandal alleged that the NHAI offered low package for their land compared to those offered in areas between Pamarru and Vuyyuru. This despite their land being fertile. Mr. Lakshmikantam urged the displaced to appeal before the arbitrators – Revenue Divisional Officer/Joint Collector/Collector – to review the package.
