AP cabinet okays CRDA, scraps Jagan's mining rights

The Andhra Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved the formation of Capital Region Development authority (CRDA) for building a new capital,  replacing Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority.

“The CRDA will replace the existing body through an ordinance or an Act,” state IT minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy said.

The CRDA, which will have 22 members and an executive committee with 30 members, will be headed by  Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

The capital will be spread across 29 villages including  17 villages of Guntur district where the government is seeking land pooling from farmers.  The AP government hopes to acquire around 30,000 acres from them.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu  interacted with over 200 farmers from 15 villages of Tullur and Mangalagiri mandals of Guntur district here after the cabinet meeting where he explained the benefits and  assured them of fair play. “We will take land in a transparent manner and farmers will become partners and stake holders in the growth agenda,” he said after the meeting.

The farmers who were brought here in special buses told Naidu that majority of the farmers in the villages are ready to sacrifice their lands for the capital, but wanted clear cut assurance from the government on the issue of compensation.

The AP government also has cancelled Barytes mining lease rights held by YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s family in the Kadapa district. The cabinet decided to order a full fledged probe in to the alleged illegal mining in the Mangampeta from 2004 to 2014 and also call for a global tender for issuing fresh mining leases for the same.