Central Government Initiates Land Acquisition for NH-163G Expansion in Khammam, Telangana

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued Notification S.O. 3719(E) on August 13, 2025, declaring its intention to acquire land for the public purpose of building, maintaining, managing, and operating National Highway 163G. This delegated legislation, published in the Official Gazette, specifically targets a stretch of land from Km. 250.400 to Km. 283.291 within the Khammam district of Telangana. The acquisition is necessary for the widening, including two-lane with paved shoulder or four-laning, of this critical national highway. The notification, issued under the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3A of the National Highways Act, 1956, outlines the process for interested parties to raise objections. Any person with an interest in the identified land is granted a period of twenty-one days from the publication date of the notification to submit objections. These objections must be made in writing to the Competent Authority, identified as the Revenue Divisional Officer, Khammam, detailing the grounds for opposition. The Competent Authority is mandated to provide the objector an opportunity to be heard, either personally or through a legal practitioner, before making a final order to allow or disallow the objections. The land plans and other pertinent details regarding the acquisition are available for inspection at the Competent Authority's office. The Schedule appended to the notification provides a brief description of the land parcels, including survey/plot numbers, type of land (e.g., Government Endowment, Private Patta, Government Donka), nature of land (Dry), and area in hectares, totaling 8.1651 hectares across villages like Dendukuru, Meenavolu, and Yerrupalem in Madhira and Yerrupalem Taluks.

The legislative intent behind this notification is to facilitate essential infrastructure development by expanding and improving National Highway 163G, thereby enhancing connectivity and transportation efficiency in the region. The policy rationale underscores the public purpose served by such projects, which contribute to economic growth and ease of transit. This action operates within the existing statutory framework of the National Highways Act, 1956, which empowers the Central Government to acquire land for the development of national highways. The notification addresses the practical necessity of securing land for the specified highway project, ensuring that the expansion can proceed. It establishes a clear mechanism for land acquisition, balancing the public need for infrastructure with the rights of affected landowners by providing a formal objection process. 

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/two lane with paved shoulder/four laning etc.), maintenance, management and operation of NH-163G in the stretch of land from Km. 250.400 to Km. 283.291 (Khammam), in the district of KHAMMAM in the state of TELANGANA, hereby declares its intention to acquire such land.” The finality of the order made by the Competent Authority under sub-section (2) of section 3C of the Act ensures a streamlined, yet procedurally fair, resolution to any objections raised during the acquisition process. This notification does not introduce new rights or obligations outside the scope of the National Highways Act but rather triggers the specific provisions of the Act for this particular project.

Keywords: National Highway, Land Acquisition, NH-163G, Telangana, Khammam, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Infrastructure, Public Purpose, Notification, National Highways Act 1956

Geo Tags: India, Telangana
District: Khammam