RRR gains traction, TS decides to deposit Rs 100 crore with NHAI

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Regional Ring Road (RRR) project has finally taken a step forward, with the state government deciding to deposit Rs 100 crore with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) towards its share of the project's cost in order to commence the process of land acquisition.

A team of officials from the Roads and Buildings department met the NHAI officials in New Delhi on Friday and conveyed the state government's decision to deposit the amount. The state government has agreed to deposit Rs 500 crore in phases in three months.

The RRR is divided into two components: northern and southern. It was decided that the northern part will be taken up first. The 158-km northern part, costing Rs 7,561 crore, will connect Sangareddy, Narsapur, Toopran, Gajwel, Pragnapur, Jagdevpur, Bhongir, and Choutuppal.

The second phase would include the 182-km southern section that passes via Choutuppal, Ibrahimpatnam, Kandukur, Amangal, Chevella, Shankarpally and Sangareddy.

The RRR is being undertaken by the Centre at a cost of around Rs 17,000 crore. The state government has agreed to bear 50 per cent of the land acquisition cost.

For the northern part of RRR, it was estimated that 2,000 hectares of land would be acquired. The NHAI estimated that Rs 5,170 crore is required, with the state government contributing Rs 2,585 crore.

The project got delayed as the Centre did not issue a notification under Section 3D of the National Highways Act, 1956 for acquiring the land without the state government depositing the committed 50 per cent share.  With the state government now coming forward to deposit its share in phases, decks have been cleared for land acquisition.