A survey to demarcate the requisite land and acquire the same for upgrading the Khammam-Kodad section of the National Highway 365-A began in Mudigonda and Nelakondapalli mandals of Palair constituency in the district on Friday.
The Central government approved the road project to upgrade a stretch of around 35 kilometres between the district headquarters town of Khammam and Kodad of neighbouring Suryapet district at an estimated cost of over Rs. 650 crore, sources said. The government entrusted the task to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The Khammam-Kodad stretch of the NH-365A is dotted with granite hub Mudigonda and the historical town of Nelakondapalli, the birthplace of legendary saint composer Bhakta Ramadasu, among other towns and villages known for their rich agricultural potential.
The project was expected to improve the overall quality of the highway, reduce traffic congestion on the vital road along Telangana’s border with Andhra Pradesh, and foster agricultural and industrial growth.
Joint teams comprising field staff of the Revenue and other allied departments embarked on a survey in a total of 13 villages across Nelakondapalli, Mudigonda, and Khammam rural mandals to expedite the process of demarcation of lands so as to facilitate smooth land acquisition for the project.
A team of surveyors, led by Mudigonda mandal tehsildar Ramadevi, began the survey in the mandal headquarters town of Mudigonda on Friday.
When contacted, Ms. Ramadevi told The Hindu that the Khammam-Kodad highway runs through an 8-km stretch of Mudigonda mandal.
It passes through five villages, including Mudigonda, in the mandal and the extent of land required for the road upgrade project was being ascertained. The modalities for land acquisition and payment of compensation would be worked out by the authorities concerned as per the government norms, she said.
