Vijayawada: In a significant push for the development of Andhra Pradesh's capital, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday outlined a vision to shape Amaravati as a distinctive 'creative city'. Chairing the 55th meeting of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), Naidu emphasized that every structure in the capital should stand out with unique architectural design and be surrounded by lush greenery.
Major Financial and Infrastructure Approvals
The CRDA Authority granted approval for several high-value proposals aimed at accelerating the city's construction. A key decision was the green signal to raise a massive loan of ₹7,380 crore from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to fund critical infrastructure projects in Amaravati.
Other major approvals included the construction of the Governor's official residence complex, Lok Bhavan, with an estimated cost of ₹169 crore. The Authority also cleared tenders worth ₹532 crore to link the E-3 seed access road with National Highway 16. Furthermore, the establishment of the AP Judicial Academy, with a budget of ₹165 crore, received the official nod.
Focus on Timelines, Quality, and Cultural Identity
Chief Minister Naidu conducted a thorough review of 85 ongoing works across the capital region. These projects span government buildings, residential quarters for ministers, MLAs, senior officers, judges, and employees, as well as essential infrastructure for roads, power, water supply, and LPS.
Naidu issued strict instructions to officials, directing them to ensure that construction is completed ahead of schedule without any compromise on workmanship or quality. He stressed that speed and quality must progress simultaneously.
To instill a strong sense of cultural identity, Naidu directed the CRDA to undertake widespread beautification works. He proposed installing a statue of former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao at Neerukonda and commemorating other Telugu icons like Alluri Sitarama Raju and Potti Sriramulu. He suggested that these statues, symbols of Telugu pride, should be developed after studying major national and international monuments, potentially with participation from the global Telugu community.
Land Pooling Progress and Upcoming Inaugurations
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P Narayana provided updates on land acquisition, stating that 16,666 acres would be pooled for projects like the international sports city, inner ring road, and railway corridor. He noted a positive response from farmers in capital villages during recent consultations and expressed readiness for the second phase of land pooling.
The minister assured that the consultation process would continue to address farmer concerns and confirmed that a 10-year support package, similar to the first phase, would be offered to participating farmers. On completed projects, Narayana announced that works on 15 Anganwadi centres, schools, and a primary health centre in the capital area are finished and slated for inauguration by the end of December. The government aims to complete residential complexes for officials by March next year.
