Rs.3 lakh crore for roads and highways in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced that roads and high ways would be developed in Andhra Pradesh at a cost of Rs.3 lakh crore.

Addressing a function at the Indira Gandhi stadium here on Thursday where he laid the foundation stone for as many as 30 national highway projects, he said that three greenfield express highways were being built in Andhra Pradesh. 

The Raipur-Visakhapatnam greenfield express highway would be ready for traffic before the year 2024 and the Chittoor-Tanjavur express highway would be completed with Rs.5,000 crore. Also, the Nagpur-Vijayawada and Bagalore-Chennai greenfield highways would be built, he said.

Noting that measures were being taken to control pollution, Gadkari



suggested use of CNG and LNG for vehicles instead of petrol and diesel. He wanted Andhra Pradesh to step up production of ethanol and green hydrogen and bio-fuels.

The union Minister, who disclosed that the Centre had sanctioned 30 road-over-bridges against the 20 ROBs sought by AP, requested the Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy to allot land for setting up logistic parks. The Centre accorded the same priority to all states and there was no discrimination with respect to development, he said.

Observing that Andhra Pradesh was developing at a brisk pace, particularly in agriculture, he said the role of ports was crucial to the development. The farmers were not only Annadatas, but would also turn as generators of energy, he hoped.