HYDERABAD: Stating that the Centre was not discriminating against any state, Union surface transport and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari has said the Centre has been providing all necessary help to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as promised in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Gadkari said his ministry had obliged almost all the requests made by AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for setting up of infrastructure facilities in the new capital region. “Whatever proposals Naidu has brought to my department, almost all have been accepted,” he said.
Similarly, all the proposals sent by TS government to the Centre were also being considered, the Union minister said.
According to Gadkari, in an effort to improve road connectivity in Telangana, the Centre is taking up as many as 26 new national highway projects covering a length of 920 km at a cost of `6,400 crore.
“Over `20,000 crore worth national highway projects, including the ongoing projects would begin this year. There are about 18 ongoing highway projects in Telangana covering a length of 585.80 km worth ` 2,590 crore which are at various stages of progress,” he said.
He said the Centre had received a proposal from Telangana government for setting up of dry port in the state. “We have asked the state government to suggest the place for setting up the dry port,” he said.
Stating that developing inland waterways is the “priority” of the Central government, the Union minister said the Centre has earmarked 101 important rivers in the country to develop a network of waterways on the lines of national highways.
He said Ganga, Bramhaputra, Mahanadi, Buckingham Canal between AP and Tamil Nadu and West Coast Canal in Kerala have already been designated as inland waterways.