Central Government Initiates Land Acquisition for National Highway 71 Expansion in Andhra Pradesh

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a statutory notification on September 22, 2025, declaring the Central Government’s formal intention to acquire land for the development of National Highway No. 71. This instrument, designated as S.O. 4273(E), was promulgated under the authority of the National Highways Act, 1956, specifically targeting a stretch of land from Km. 0.000 to Km. 55.900. The project area encompasses the Madanapalli to Piler section situated within the Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh. The notification came into force immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette, marking the commencement of the legal process for infrastructure expansion in the region.

The legislation provided: “In exercise of powers conferred by sub section (1) of section 3A of the National Highways Act, 1956 (48 of 1956) (hereinafter referred to as the said Act), the Central Government, after being satisfied that for the public purpose, the land, the brief description of which is given in the Schedule below, is required for building (widening/four laning etc.,), maintenance, management and operation of National Highway No 71 in the stretch of land from Km. 0.000 to Km. 55.900 (Madanapalli to Piler Section) in the district of Annamayya in the state of Andhra Pradesh, hereby declares its intention to acquire such land.”

The scope of the acquisition involves approximately 0.9583162 hectares of land distributed across various taluks and villages. The affected areas include Basinikonda and Venkappakota in Madanapalle taluk, Chintaparthi in Vayalpadu taluk, and Doddipalle and Gudarevupalle in Pileru taluk. The schedule accompanying the notification identifies both private (Patta) land, classified as dry or wet, and government owned (Poramboke and DKT) land. This acquisition is deemed essential for the public purpose of widening, four laning, maintaining, and managing the highway to improve regional connectivity and traffic flow.

Under the statutory framework established by the National Highways Act, the government has provided a window for due process and administrative recourse. Any person with an interest in the identified land parcels may, within twenty one days of the notification's publication, submit objections regarding the use of the land for the proposed highway works. These objections must be submitted in writing to the designated Competent Authority, which in this instance is the Joint Collector of Annamayya. The law requires the Competent Authority to grant the objector a formal hearing, which may be conducted in person or through a legal practitioner. Following such proceedings and any further necessary inquiry, the Authority will issue an order to either allow or disallow the objections. According to the provisions of Section 3C(2) of the Act, any order passed by the Competent Authority in this regard shall be final and binding.

The legislative intent behind this notification is rooted in the policy rationale of enhancing national infrastructure through the "public purpose" doctrine. By invoking the National Highways Act, the executive branch addresses the statutory necessity of securing land rights before commencing major engineering works. This process replaces the previous land status with a clear state intention to acquire, thereby streamlining the transition from private or local government holdings to national highway management. The enforcement mechanism relies on a strict twenty one day timeline for public feedback, ensuring that while the state pursues its developmental objectives, the rights of affected persons to be heard are maintained. Detailed land plans and survey numbers have been made available for public inspection at the office of the Competent Authority to ensure transparency in the acquisition proceedings.

Keywords: National Highways Act 1956, Land Acquisition, NH 71, Andhra Pradesh, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Infrastructure Development, Annamayya District, Madanapalli-Piler Section

Geo Tags: India, Andhra Pradesh
District: Annamayya