Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu releases white paper on Amaravati
Citing the example of Cyberabad, Naidu claimed that he always ensured that those who gave up land for his government’s projects were satisfied
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday (July 3) released a white paper on the proposed state capital, Amaravati.
Naidu blamed his predecessor, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, for destroying what was supposed to be a world-class capital city. Expressing concern over the lack of opportunities in the region, which is forcing students to leave, he said he had aimed to build Amaravati for employment opportunities.
The name
Naidu said it was the late media baron Ramoji Rao who had suggested the name “Amaravati” after some research, and both the Cabinet and the people had approved of it. It is historically significant, too, and even has a gallery dedicated to it in the British Museum, he pointed out. The site has been a key administrative centre since the Satvahana era.
The site is also centrally located in the state, making it the perfect choice for the capital. To lay its foundation, soil and water from every village in Andhra Pradesh and every holy site in the country had been brought, he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had supported the project and even participated by bringing water and soil from the Yamuna.
Something for everyone
Naidu mentioned that though Reddy had initially supported the idea of Amaravati and even built a house there but later changed his stance and announced Visakhapatnam as the capital city. As a result, the Centre withdrew a loan request from the World Bank for the city’s development. Even Singapore had provided a master plan and signed an MoU for the development of the smart city.
Naidu claimed that he always ensured that those who gave up land for his government’s projects were always satisfied. He cited the time he developed Cyberabad during his tenure as the chief minister of the undivided Andhra Pradesh. He remined how an ecosystem was created over nine years to sustain Cyberabad. He said he applied the same strategy in Amaravati, where everyone who contributed land was promised benefits from the project.