JOIN USAiming to attract investments from the visiting Japanese delegation, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu gave a preview of the capital city master plan, notwithstanding the growing opposition to the proposal.
He even declared his intension to celebrate this year’s Ugadi officially in Tullur, the centre of the new state capital. Urging representatives of 100 Japanese companies to help AP build a Tokyo on the banks of Krishna river, Naidu highlighted the salient features of the master plan for the city prepared by Surbana and Jurong.
He revealed how the new city would have a large area for business and trading hubs for IT, ITES, electronic, auto and agriculture processing (with Guntur acting as the farming hub) and textiles.
As per the plan, Vijayawada, Tadepalli, Mangalagiri and Tullur will be part of the mega world-class capital city.
Naidu’s pitch for the grand capital city continued, even as the opposition targeted his government for planning to turn fertile farmland into concrete jungle.
“We cannot allow the State Government to do real estate business in the name of capital formation, leaving the hapless farmers high and dry,” YSR Congress leader Jaganmohan Reddy told the media at Rajahmundry in East Godavari district, urging Naidu to use the government owned land for the capital building process.
When 3,000 acres of government land is available in Mangalagiri area itself, why the State should go after the fertile lands unless it has ulterior motives, he asked.
The capital can be built within the 3,000 acres on the lines of Singapore, Tokyo or other leading cities, roads could be laid and the agriculture land can be given to the farmers after the zoning process and allow them to decide what they have to do, he said.
The government faces resistance only if it goes after private land. It should keep away from farmers, Reddy said.