AP Set To Expedite Construction Of Amaravati

We will reconstruct Amaravati, which is a self-financing project. But some vested interests, particularly those who were at the helm of the affairs earlier had resorted to propaganda that lakhs of crores of rupees are required for building Amaravati - Nara Chandrababu Naidu, CM, Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati: After kick-starting work on building a futuristic capital city at Amaravati after a gap of five years, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has made it very clear that timelines will be finalised to complete various works on a fast-track mode.

With the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank officially intimating its commitment to fund Rs13,600 crore on the recommendation of the Union Government, Naidu while relaunching the works, said it will be developed as one of the best capitals in the world. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the budget announced a first phase funding of Rs15,000 crore to develop Amaravati.

Naidu, known as a hard task master, does not want to give a miss to the deadlines to be set for various works being taken up simultaneously to rebuild Amaravati. Funds from NRIs, corporates and benevolent persons are also pouring in for the capital reconstruction after the change in the government.

Official sources said the first phase work will be completed within two-and-a-half years with focus laid on taking up half-finished works on the CRDA headquarters, official quarters and other works. Naidu has already made a plea to the Centre to consider introducing a bullet train to Amaravati connecting it with Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru.

According to Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P Narayana, during their previous stint, the government had taken up residential quarters and other works worth Rs48,000 crore, which were halted following the decision of the YSRCP government to develop a three-capital plan during 2019-24. He said works will be taken up in full gear with the central government and the World Bank-ADB grant to release Rs15,000 crore in a time-bound manner.

Earlier, the TDP-led NDA coalition in the State decided to revive the involvement of Singapore in the development of Amaravati. The previous government had cancelled the agreement signed with the Singapore Consortium alleging a lot of irregularities in the deal.

Under the Amaravati Capital City Development Mission, multiple projects are being taken up. “It’s the dream project of our Chief Minister and we expect its development will be a game-changer in the region,” Amaravati JAC leader A Siva Reddy told Bizz Buzz.

Declaring that Amaravati will be a self-financing project, Naidu at the time of relaunching the works for rebuilding the capital city, said Visakhapatnam, the largest city in Andhra Pradesh will be transformed into the financial capital. He said a division bench of the High Court and several other industries will be set up at Kurnool.

YSRCP after forming the government in 2019 decided to develop Visakhapatnam as executive capital, Kurnool as judicial capital and Amaravati as legislative capital in the face of stiff opposition from the farmers who gave up their lands for development of the capital under the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) and a batch of petitions in the courts challenging trifurcation of the capital plan.

Naidu said: “We will reconstruct Amaravati, which is a self-financing project. But some vested interests, particularly those who were at the helm of the affairs earlier had resorted to propaganda that lakhs of crores of rupees are required for building Amaravati.”

The Chief Minister stated that the Vision-2047 is only aimed at developing the State and the 420s can’t understand his vision. With just a call given by him, 29,881 farmers had come forward to donate 34,241 acres in the Amaravati region, the Chief Minister said and stated that the whole credit of polling the maximum extent of land goes only to the TDP.