In a major breakthrough for regional connectivity across northern Karnataka, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued an official statutory land acquisition notification under Section 3A of the National Highways Act, 1956, clearing the path for the development, widening, and four-laning of Package 7 of National Highway 748A (Belagavi–Hungund–Raichur corridor).
The notification (S.O. 4900(E)) covers a critical 57.93 km stretch from Km 273.400 to Km 331.330 located entirely within Raichur district, spanning taluks including Devadurga and Raichur.
Overcoming Alignment Delays
Package 7 represents the terminal eastern leg of the high-speed Belagavi–Raichur economic corridor. While preceding segments (such as Packages 1 through 6) progressed through tendering and phased execution under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), the final alignment for Package 7 had faced protracted procedural delays.
Local representatives and stakeholders had persistently pursued MoRTH and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to freeze the alignment and initiate statutory proceedings. The publication of the notification marks the official end of the impasse, allowing pre-construction civil activities and survey verifications to commence in earnest.
Raichur Member of Parliament G. Kumar Naik welcomed the Centre’s move, acknowledging that sustained follow-ups with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and NHAI officials had helped resolve lingering alignment bottlenecks. He urged highway authorities to maintain high construction standards, incorporate essential design features such as grade separators, bypasses, and pedestrian/cattle underpasses, and expedite the project schedule from here on.
Statutory Details & 21-Day Objection Window
As per the gazette notification:
- Statutory Provision: Section 3A of the National Highways Act, 1956 (Declaration of Intention to Acquire Land).
- Stretch Defined: Km 273.400 to Km 331.330 of NH-748A.
- Competent Authority: Assistant Commissioner, Raichur Sub-Division (DC Office Premises, Raichur).
- Objection Timeline: Landowners and interested parties have 21 days from the date of gazette publication to submit written objections regarding the intended acquisition before the Competent Authority.
- Affected Areas: Initial schedule entries specify plots across Devadurga taluk (including Tippaladinni village) and Raichur taluk (including Mandalgera), covering both private agricultural dry holdings and government-owned rights-of-way. Detailed layout maps and survey blueprints have been made accessible for inspection at the Competent Authority’s office.
Strategic & Economic Significance
The Belagavi–Hungund–Raichur corridor (NH-748A) is envisioned as a premier east–west economic artery spanning Karnataka’s northern hinterland:
- Seamless Industrial Transit: It bridges the agricultural and mineral-rich Kalyana Karnataka belt directly with industrial and commercial clusters in Kittur Karnataka (Belagavi, Bagalkot) and onwards to Goa and western ports.
- Freight & Logistics Efficiency: Upgrading from a congested two-lane route to an access-controlled, four-lane paved-shoulder configuration will drastically reduce transit hours for heavy goods traffic, including thermal power equipment, cotton, paddy, and agro-commodities.
- Enhanced Commuter Safety: Modern engineering interventions, bypasses around dense habitations, and dedicated underpasses are projected to substantially curb accident rates on this heavily trafficked interstate freight line.
With the Section 3A notification now gazetted, the revenue administration will proceed with joint measurement surveys (JMS) followed by the Section 3D declaration, paving the way for financial compensation disbursements and the awarding of civil tenders.
