PM Modi Expected to Re-launch Amaravati Capital Initiatives Next Month

Amaravati, April 14 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is anticipated to visit Amaravati next month to re-initiate the capital city projects.

The Telugu Desam Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the state has already made plans to invite the Prime Minister for the recommencement of works aimed at building the greenfield capital city.

The event is expected to take place between April 15 and 20. Officials indicated that the state government will finalize the date in coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office.

The construction activities are likely to resume from Uddandarayunipalem, where the foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Modi on October 22, 2015, during the TDP's governance.

While some development initiatives were initiated by the state government, progress halted after the TDP lost power in 2019 when the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government, led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, opted for a three-capital model.

The YSRCP administration proposed that Visakhapatnam would serve as the administrative capital, Kurnool as the judicial capital, and Amaravati as the legislative capital. However, no advancements were made due to strong resistance from local farmers and ongoing court cases.

After the TDP-led NDA reclaimed power in June last year, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu decided to revive work on his ambitious project.

The Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) sanctioned tenders for 59 development projects worth ₹37,702 crore on March 11.

Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister Ponguru Narayana announced that the Cabinet would approve the projects on March 17, with construction expected to commence next month.

The CRDA had previously called tenders for 73 projects valued at ₹48,012 crore. The state government has earmarked ₹64,721 crore for the first phase to carry out development tasks and ensure basic amenities.

The government is mobilizing ₹31,000 crore to recommence the works, having secured ₹15,000 crore from the World Bank, with an additional ₹11,000 crore loan from HUDCO, and ₹5,000 crore from various banks.

Narayana highlighted that the Amaravati capital region spans 53,500 acres, with 30 percent designated for green and blue development.

The coalition government is optimistic about completing the capital development within three years.

Chief Minister Naidu also stated that investments totaling ₹1 lakh crore in Amaravati would be initiated within the next 45 days.

A decade ago, Naidu envisioned Amaravati along the banks of the Krishna River as a dream capital and a premier city.

The master plan for Amaravati was crafted with input from Singapore, featuring nine themed cities and 27 townships across 217 square kilometers.

In what was described as the largest land pooling initiative, the government acquired 33,000 acres from farmers, who were promised a share of the developed property along with financial benefits.

Designed not just as an administrative hub but as an economic and job-generating center as well as a tourism destination, development was planned in three phases – core capital, capital city, and capital region.

Amaravati garnered the interest of investors from nations including Australia, Japan, Germany, Singapore, and the UK.

Naidu’s ambitious vision for the state capital was estimated to require ₹1.5 lakh crore, with projects worth ₹38,000 crore initiated in 2018 for infrastructure like roads and the state secretariat complex.

However, these efforts were abruptly halted in 2019 when the YSRCP government reversed the previous TDP administration's decision and implemented the three capitals policy.