Andhra Pradesh Accelerates Land Acquisition for Metro Rail Projects, Seeks 100 per cent Central Funding

The government of Andhra Pradesh has acted upon the realisation of metro rail projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada by issuing orders for land acquisition process, reported The Hindu.

Orders were issued to the Collectors of Visakhapatnam and NTR districts on 30 January, 2025, asking them to facilitate acquisition and furnish the particulars for issue of legal notifications.

The state government has also requested the Centre to fully fund these metro rail projects.

The first phase of both projects, approved in December 2024, is estimated to cost Rs 11,498 crore for Visakhapatnam and Rs 11,009 crore for Vijayawada.

The Visakhapatnam metro rail requires 99.75 acres of land, pegged at Rs 882 crore, and will cover a distance of 46.23 km. It is planned to be built across three corridors connecting key areas: Steel Plant Gate to Kommadi, Gurudwara to Old Post Office, and Thatichetlapalem to Chinna Waltair.

Meanwhile the Vijayawada metro will cover 38.40 km in two corridors from PNBS to Gannavaram and PNBS to Penamaluru, which will need 91 acres of land and cost an estimated Rs 1,152 crore.

With land acquisition now in progress, the Andhra Pradesh government is speeding up efforts to clear any logistical hurdles and ensure that these critical transport projects are completed on time.

Officials are demanding more central funding, arguing that full central funding would ease the burden on the state while ensuring smooth implementation.