Amaravati :- world class city in making

PM laying the Foundation stone

Today PM Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for Amaravati, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, at a village in Guntur district in a mega event for which the state government had made elaborate arrangements.

The function was a splendid one where about 4-5 lakh people attended at Uddandarayunipalem village on the bank of Krishna river about 40km from Vijaywada, the commercial capital of the state.
The state government has invited several dignitaries including Union minster, chief ministers, important leaders from across the country, eminent personalities and also foreign dignitaries for the event.

Why Amaravati ?

Amaravati, on translating locally means that "the one who cannot be destroyed, i.e.- undestructible".

Amaravati, is situated in Guntur district, was once a Capital city of the Satavahana rulers, used to describe as a golden age of Indian economy. Apart from the historical and cultural importance, the city is also centrally located. A report in Indian Express notes that it is "easily accessible from north and south, coastal districts and the Rayalaseema region".

The Plan :

Chief Minister has promised that it will be a world-class and 'people's city. 

The city will be spread over 54,000 acres and in 10 years will have the state secretariat, high court and legislative assembly, among other things. Singapore government agencies have prepared the master plan for the three-layered capital - seed capital, capital city and capital region.

While the centre would provide funds for construction of legislature buildings as per the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act, the state government has plans to set up hubs of sports, entertainment and in other fields to economic activity, an official release said earlier.

According to IANS , Telugu Association of North America(TANA), the oldest and largest association of Telugu people outside the Telugu states,is also raising funds for the developement of the capital city through a campaign "My Brick - My Amaravati".  It will accept donations from all non-resident Telugus who are interested in contributing. Interested public can sponsor "Bricks" with each brick at Rs 10.

CM promoting the campaign of "My Brick My Amaravati "

As per a call given by CM, soil and water from all 16,000 villages in the state and prominent pilgrim centers in the country have been brought to the capital  region to be used in the construction of the capital city. The idea is to promote a sense of belongingness among the people.

Land Acquisition :

Today, the biggest threat is the problem faced during the acquisition of the land for any government projects. But in case of Amaravati, this is the biggest plus point of the whole project. The state government adopted a new scheme to acquire the required land. According to a report in CNBC-TV18, of the total required 54,00acres, the govt. owns about 21,000 acres. Over 23,000 farmers in the 29 villages own the balance.

The govt has used a unique scheme to overcome the difficulties of acquiring this land. According to the report, the govt has bought 31,000 acres from the 18,000 farmers. The farmers are to get Rs. 50,000 per acre per year for 10years and also 1250sq yard of residential space and 200sq yards of commercial space in Amaravati for every acre they gave up. The report estimates that the land acquisition in the normal route would have cost more than Rs. 7500 crore and have taken several years for the state government.