AP government falls behind in construction of Amaravati

While the Andhra Pradesh government is sure of completing major construction work here including the state secretariat complex, a high court building, quarters for ministers and MLAs and a grid of roads by 2019, the work on ground seems to be far from meeting the target.

Amaravati is being built in an area of 33,000 acres of fertile land given by farmers in 29 villages in Guntur district on the banks of river Krishna.

The interim government complex, which houses the state Assembly and the Council, is the only completed structure in the whole capital. Among private colleges in the city, VIT Amaravati and SRM Colleges are the ones that have set up institutions and are conducting classes.

The foundation for the permanent Andhra Pradesh Secretariat complex comprising five towers, that includes the CMO at Kondamarajupalem in Tullur, is yet to take form.

However, the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) sources are confident that the super structure of the head of the department’s tower will be ready by 2019 elections.

"While the first building will have 46 stories with the chief minister's office on the top floor, the other four buildings will have 40 stories each,” a CRDA official said.

On the other hand, the interim judicial complex which will house the state high court at Nelapadu, is also slated to be completed by 2019.

Similarly, the construction of houses for MLAS and officials near Lingayapalem by NCC and L&T is progressing, but that for villas for the ministers close to the Secretariat complex have not taken off so far. The road network will have to be ready by March, 2019.

Financial crunch

State Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana is confident that all the major works of the capital city will be completed by 2019. “So far, works worth Rs 28,000 crore have been 'grounded' and tenders will be floated for works worth another Rs 20,000 crore," he said.

“The Centre is not at all helping in the construction of Amaravati. The Rs 2,000 crore that we are mopping up through Amaravati Bonds is nothing when compared to the Rs 48,000 crore required to develop Amaravati in 217 square kilometers,” he said.

However, Sambi Reddy of Kistayapalem, one of those villages that have stood against land pooling, says that nothing on the ground has changed. “It has been four years now. Only the number of vehicles passing through our villages has increased, everything else is hype,” he told DH.