Chhattisgarh CM Approves Road Project To Connect Raipur To Vizag:- An in-principal approval has been given by the Chattisgarh Chief Minister, Raman Singh for connecting the state capital Raipur to Visakapatnam in AP through a new road route.

N. Chandrababu Naidu, the neighboring state’s CM has proposed to link the two major cities through a national highway.

An official said, “Singh had a detailed discussion on the proposal, while chairing a review meeting of the state’s Public Works Department (PDW).” In the meeting, the department officials informed that the AP government has proposed to link Raipur to Vizianagram-Vishakhapatnam through a new road via Kurud to Nagri (Sihawa) area of Chhattisgarh and Nabarangpur of Odisha, and declare it as a national highway

The official further said that “The Chief Minister expressed happiness that this proposed national highway will link three states - Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.”

Currently, the distance between Raipur and Visakhapatnam via Jagdalpur (Bastar) is nearly 600 km while the new proposed route will shorten it by 200 km. It was further informed in the meeting that the AP CM had sent a proposal in this context to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari in February this year and simultaneously requested his Chhattisgarh counterpart to consider it, the official said.

Once the proposed road is built, it will cover around 401 kilometres from Visakhapatnam, Chinthalvalasa, Vizianagram and Saloor, Odisha’s Koraput, Umarkot, Baheda and Dighli to Raipur via Likhma, Borai, Nagri and Kurud. Of the 164 kms proposed road falls in Chattisgarh, around 132 kms will be developed as a two-lane, while the remaining 32-kms will be a single lane. The long route from Raipur to Kurud on Jagdalpur road stretching about 54 kms, however is already a national highway. The state government now has given its permission to consider the rest of the proposed 110-km route also as a national highway, he said.

The official quoted the chief minister as saying in the meeting, “A part of the proposed route from Kurud further passes through forest land. Therefore, the formalities related to forest clearance and others should be finished soon, as per the rules, so as to start off the work.”

The Public Works Department (PWD) has set the target of completing construction of 28 roads of 1,526 kms by March 2018, at the cost of Rs 12,266 crore, said the official in the meeting. The National Highway Authority India’s six roads and the Naxal-affected areas four roads will be included, he said.

SUPRAJA