Renewed emphasis on Amaravati set to propel infra boost in Andhra

A Fresh Start:

♦ Singapore’s interest in collaborating on Amaravati project renewed

♦ UAE also expresses interest in developmental projects and strengthening air links

♦ AP govt plans to complete Amaravati’s first phase in two and a half years

♦ Metro rail project, capital bonds, and infra development prioritised

♦ Amaravati’s boundary expanded, R-5 zone usage to be decided later

Vijayawada: The focus on rebuilding Amaravati as the people’s capital and as an integrated sustainable and smart city will propel infra boost in and around the capital region in Andhra Pradesh in the near future.

As per the comprehensive roadmap being prepared by the TDP-led NDA Government in the State under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, it is proposed to develop Amaravati, Vijayawada, Mangalagiri, Guntur and Tadepalli into mega cities. A recent meeting held by the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) at Amaravati under the chairmanship of Naidu, it was decided to contact the Singapore Government to seek its collaboration with the AP Government for building Amaravati as a futuristic city. The agreement with Singapore, which was signed by Naidu during his earlier stint as the Chief Minister was shelved after YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy formed the government after the general elections in 2019.

The Singapore Government has also indicated its intention sometime ago for active participation in rebuilding Amaravati. High Commissioner for Singapore in India Simon Wong greeted the Union Budget announcement to extend a Rs 15,000-crore support for developing Amaravati. He said in a post on X that they welcome the fund allocation for Amaravati.

With renewed emphasis on Amaravati, Singaporean companies are expected to look at Amaravati “with a fresh pair of eyes.”

During a recent interaction with Industries Minister TG Bharat and others, Ambassador of the UAE to India Abdulnasser Alshaali PhD also underlined the importance of strengthening air links with the Middle East and evinced interest to take part in developmental projects.

CRDA sources told Bizz Buzz that the State Government has decided to complete the first phase of capital construction in two and half years. During its earlier regime, the Naidu-led government had called for tenders for an amount of Rs 48,000 crore. In the second phase, metro rail project is expected to be taken up. There is also speculation that the government may float capital bonds eyeing NRI funds.

After visiting Amaravati a few days after taking over reins of AP as the Chief Minister, Naidu said “Amaravati isn’t just a capital, it’s a collective symbol of the aspirations of our people of Andhra Pradesh. The manner in which the YSRCP regime disregarded these aspirations, brutalised our farmers, and destroyed our capital, left us deeply pained. Today, I conducted an inspection of the Amaravati region and assessed its current state. We shall resume building our capital together, starting today. Amaravati is God’s will, and destiny has found its course.” “Though most of the works were in the finishing stages, the YSRCP Government put a brake to the works and stopped settling the bills of the contractors after its decision to develop three capitals under the alibi of decentralisation,” Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development P Narayana said after a review meeting.

Experts from IIT Hyderabad and Chennai recently undertook an extensive trip to Amaravati to suggest measures on how to expedite completion of some iconic buildings like Seed Access Road and quarters for VVIPs and officials. The government has prioritised construction of six bridges across the River Krishna and development of an Outer Ring Road (ORR) and Inner Ring Road (IRR). The boundary of the capital region, which was pruned during the previous YSRCP Government, has been increased from 6,993 sq km to 8,352 sq km. A decision on using the R-5 zone for capital building, which was earmarked for distribution of house-sites for the poorer sections by the previous regime, will be taken later after sorting out legal challenges.