Hazaribagh: The district administration has stepped on gas to acquire 150 acres of private land out of the total 223 acres to pave the way for the construction of the much awaited Rs 645-crore Ring Road in this town.

District land acquisition officer Shabbir Ahmad said the process to get the required land had been initiated and was expected to be completed before June next year.

Sources said the 16.42km road would pass through 17 villages on the outskirts of the town. They are Nawdiha, Atia, Romi, Alagdiha, Masratu, Godakhar, Rewali, Khapariawan, Massipiddi, Salgawan, Sirsi, Merawal, Damodih, Mandaikhurd, Mandaikala, Kasturikhap and Kadma.

A team of district administration officials visited the land identified for the project and found out that of the required 223 acres, 150 acres were raiyati land and the rest gair mazruwa, which had been illegally encroached upon.

DC Ravi Shankar Shukla have directed the concerned circle officers to free up the land.

Ahmad said out of the 17 villages, Sirsi and Salgawan didn't have gair mazruwa land.

He said the project would take the traffic pressure off town roads.

Initially planned in 2004 at a cost of Rs 52 crore, the delay in the ring road project had led to an increase in the cost to Rs 645-crore.