The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Expansion work on NH-9 from August, says Jaipal Reddy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 12, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Expansion work on NH-9 from August, says Jaipal Reddy

Staff Reporter

Tenders will be finalised by July, says the Union Minister
Police foil attempt by BJP activists to gherao the Minister

NALGONDA: Expressing ‘deep anguish’ at the criticism from the opposition parties and the media on the issue of expansion of the national highway no.9, Union Minister S. Jaipal Reddy on Sunday made it clear that foundation stone for the works would be laid in August.

“Tenders will be finalised by the end of July and the foundation stone will be laid in August,” he said at a press conference held at municipal chairperson Pullemla Venkata Narayana Goud’s residence.

Furious

Furious over media reports on the “inordinate delay” in taking up road widening works, Mr. Reddy told reporters before hand that he wouldn’t take any questions unconnected to the NH-9.“If the misconception is removed, there won’t be misunderstanding among people,” he said. A group of Bharatiya Janata Party activists, led by district unit president Goli Madhusudan Reddy, staged a dharna in front of Mr. Goud’s residence, the venue of the press conference. They raised slogans against the delay in grounding road-widening works. However, the police arrested them to clear the way for the Minister’s convoy. Taking serious exception to the BJP’s attempt to disrupt his visit to the district headquarters, the Union Minister said: “The opposition is resorting to Geobbel’s campaign. Why Chandrababu Naidu failed to get clearance for the expansion works during his regime? I can proudly claim that if I was not there, the expansion works would have been delayed for three more years.” According to Mr. Reddy, Rs. 1,600 crore would be spent for the four-laning of the NH-9 and the project would be taken up under Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) system. “Whether it is laid under BOT or taken up by the National Highways Authority, the amount of burden on the commuters is same,” he clarified.

Apology sought

Mr. Reddy demanded an apology from the opposition leaders for announcing that the government had not accorded sanction for the expansion works.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh