Banking on the name for capital development

What’s in a name many say. But the residual Andhra Pradesh has named its capital Amaravati and the government hopes that it will be a game changer.

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu hopes that the new capital, which will spread over 29 villages in Guntur district, will help the state to attract huge investments from the Asian majors such as Japan, Singapore and China, which have sizeable followers of Buddhism.

The name was declared to make the Asian investors feel at home. While Singapore was drawing the master plan, Japan and China were urged to build the capital and the necessary infrastructure, costing a whopping Rs 27,000 crore, for the cash-strapped government. The Chief Minister declared in the state Assembly that the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh will be named after the historic and religious capital of yesteryear - Amaravati
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However, Amaravati, which was also historic city, is not actually in the centre of the capital planned by the government. Initially, Tullur was to be the centre and also the so-called seed capital. But large-scale protests against pooling fertile river front multi-crop land forced the government to shift base to Amaravati. The government has pooled 33,000 acres from 29 villages of Mangalagiri, Tullur and Undavalli mandals at least on paper and is currently dealing with a spate of petitions against land pooling.

But the government is going ahead with its plans and hopes to lay foundation for the construction of the capital at least by the end of June. The Singapore
government has submitted the capital region’s master plan and the detailed plan of the capital city will be ready by the end of May and sufficient land for the seed capital will be garnered by June.

The announcement has brought the spotlight on the temple town of Amaravati located on the banks of River Krishna, about 35 km from Guntur and 40 km from Vijayawada. Amaravati is the home of Amareswara Swamy temple, one of the Pancharamas, in the southern region. Being a river front capital and facing northeast, the new capital will be blessed by both “vaastu” and an auspicious name.

Amaravati and neighbouring Dharani­kota were once the seat of power during the rule of Satavahana during 2nd century BC and 3rd century BC. Since then, it continued as the capital of many Andhra dynasties until the Moguls conquest and the subsequent British rule.

Besides, Amaravati is also seat of the Buddhist renaissance in the south and the home of Saint Acharya Nagarjuna, one of disciples of the Lord Buddha. Nagarjuna was instrumental in the development of the two truths doctrine, the ultimate reality and the conventionally or superficial reality.

Amaravati is also famous for Buddhist sites, including a stupa built during
Emperor Ashoka’s time. In 2007, the Kalachakra was performed at Amaravati with the participation of Dalai Lama and Buddhist monks from all over world. The tallest Dhyana Buddha statue (125 feet) is also being built on the banks of Krishna close to the Amareswara temple.

The Dhyana Buddha project started in 2003. The state tourism department is planning to operate cruises from Vijaya­wada to Amaravati after its inauguration. The government believes that the tallest Dhyana Buddha will resurrect its capital dreams taking pressure off the agrarian Tullur and 28 other villages.

The development of the new capital will begin with the construction of the state legislature, the secretariat or headquarters of the government, and a high court. The government also announced a special industrial zone for the Japanese near Amaravati, as they are keen on
developing all the Buddhist heritage sites on the banks of Krishna.

“Make Amaravati your second home,” was the call given by the chief minister during his recent tours to Japan and China. The government is also planning to introduce diploma courses in Japanese language in Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur to help the Telugu-speaking professionals work in tandem with the Japanese.

Making tourism as one of its mission, Andhra Pradesh is planning a special police force for the safety and security of tourists. The force would have special police stations for tourists, apart from a round-the-clock call centre and a guidance centre. The state tourism department is also exploring introduction of one ticket for multi-modal transportation for a tourist. The government is planning to attract Rs 10,000 crore worth investments in tourism sector alone in the next five years, particularly in the Buddhist circuit.

It was decided that tourism projects would be treated as industrial ventures and single-desk clearances would be granted to them within 21 days. Tourism projects will be levied only a special tariff, giving them a fair chance to take off. The tourism department was told to attract international tourists, by bringing famous tourist operators on board and work with them.

The Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation will pool workforce required for the tourism and hospitality sector. A tourism and hospitality university will be set up. The department will also explore the possibility of introducingwater sports, beach tourism, spiritual tourism, eco-tourism, caravan tourism, and heli-tourism.

Two major expressways and other multi-lane highways will link important towns and ports, including Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, with Amaravati. A greenfield international airport is also envisaged near Mangalagiri close to the new capital.