Speeding up of the Capital construction process, chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has appointed a full-time managing director to the corporation set up to oversee all the works related to construction of world-class capital Amaravati.
Lakshmi Parthasarathi, a retired IAS officer, who was allotted Telangana after the division, has been appointed managing director of Capital City Development and Management Corporation (CCDMC). The CCDMC is the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up under Companies Act, 2013, for the development, implementation, operation and management of Amaravati, the new Capital City of Andhra Pradesh .The Board has the Principal Secretary, MA & UD & Chairman of the Executive Committee of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority, as Executive Chairman and 9 Directors. Till now the post has been looked after by commissioner CRDA.
Sources in the government say Lakshmi Parthasarathi’s appointment is a clear demonstration of the will of Naidu to ensure the completion of the project core capital by 2018. The corporation has been entrusted with the responsibility of preparing Detailed Development Plan for Capital City based on approved master plan. It would design, develop, implement and operate & maintain the capital city including maintenance of the city services. Though the appointment did raise many an eyebrow among the senior officials in the state, her entry is expected to give fillip to the activities. Because, she will be the only experienced officer in the Capital administration set up. While Ajay Jain , secretary municipal administration (CRDA) is from 1991 batch. Srikanth, commissioner CRDA is from 1998 batch. Ajay is wearing too many hats- he is secretary Power, Infrastructure and Investment, MA & UD.
Normally, the post of MD is meant for a serving babu. But, somehow, Naidu is not allowing any senior babu comer nearer to capital region. Now appointing Lakshmiparthasarathi an experienced officer is seen as a sign to government’s commitment to speed up process of construction of Amaravati after Naidu’s arrival from Davos. Among the responsibilities assigned to the corporation are engaging professionals from market on competitive terms, acquire capabilities and act as a world class public agency for city development, selecting partners including JC&I partner and agencies for Capital City Development. It is also authorized to allot developable spaces (Floor Space Index – FSI) and land underlying to JC&I partner or private parties on 99 year lease basis through lease agreement as per authorization. The corporation has also been mandated raise financial resources from market besides government funding as required.
