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        <hl1 id="Headline1" class="1" style="Headline1">
          <lang class="3" style="Headline1" font="Chronicle Display" fontStyle="Roman" size="36">CM bats for EV bus shift, expansion of AP highways</lang>
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      <p style=".Bodylaser">
        <lang class="3" style=".Bodylaser" font="Minion Pro" fontStyle="Italic" size="9">Continued from P1</lang>
        <lang class="3" style=".Bodylaser" font="Minion Pro" fontStyle="Regular" size="9"></lang>
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      <p style=".Bodylaser">
        <lang class="3" style=".Bodylaser" font="Minion Pro" fontStyle="Regular" size="9">For 570 km of vulnerable canal-side roads, he proposed collaboration with academic institutions to explore durable materials.</lang>
      </p>
      <p style=".Bodylaser">
        <lang class="3" style=".Bodylaser" font="Minion Pro" fontStyle="Regular" size="9">With the upcoming Godavari Pushkarams in view, the Chief Minister directed expedited road works in Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts. In the Godavari region alone, 531 km of roads will be upgraded at a cost of Rs 400 crore using funds under the  Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI).</lang>
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        <lang class="3" style=".Bodylaser" font="Minion Pro" fontStyle="Regular" size="9">For context, the SASCI scheme in AP focuses on developing iconic tourism centers (like Gandikota and Rajahmundry) and enhancing rural road infrastructure. The initiative, with 100% central funding, aims to boost the local econo﻿my and create j﻿obs through 50-year interest-free loans. Naidu also asked officials to seek special Central assistance on the lines of Kumbh Mela funding.</lang>
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        <lang class="3" style=".Bodylaser" font="Minion Pro" fontStyle="Regular" size="9">The Chief Minister emphasised strategic port connectivity, underlining that ports are critical economic nodes. He called for seamless highway links to various ports, including Mulapeta, Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Ramayapatnam and Krishnapatnam, alongside development of East-West corridors to reduce logistics costs, with nearly 73 per cent of cargo currently moving by road.</lang>
      </p>
      <p style=".Bodylaser">
        <lang class="3" style=".Bodylaser" font="Minion Pro" fontStyle="Regular" size="9">The Chief Minister spotlighted key upcoming projects such as the Kharagpur–Amaravati greenfield highway, Hyderabad–Srisailam–Dornala corridor and the Kalwakurthy–Nandyal Highway. Around 1,335 km of national highways are expected to be completed within two years, while projects worth Rs 24,502 crore are targeted for completion this year.</lang>
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        <lang class="3" style=".Bodylaser" font="Minion Pro" fontStyle="Regular" size="9">Naidu proposed ring roads and outer corridor models for certain cities, including Rajamahendravaram, Kakinada, Tirupati, Kurnool and Nellore, to support urban expansion and economic growth.</lang>
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        <lang class="3" style=".Bodylaser" font="Minion Pro" fontStyle="Regular" size="9">Ministers BC Janardhan Reddy and Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy, along with senior officials from the Transport Department, Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation and the National Highways Authority of India, attended the review.</lang>
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