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“Full-size capital will be ready in 10 yrs “

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“Full-size capital will be ready in 10 yrs “

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is hopeful that construction of the new capital in its entirety will be completed in 10 years. Naidu said he had no doubt about success of the new capital. “People of this region are endowed with remarkable creativity and entrepreneurial skills. The plan is to complete the project in 20 years. But, with the support your are extending I am hopeful that it will be carried out in a next in 10 years,” he said participating in the inaugural of ‘Capital Cinemas’, a seven-screen multiplex in Trendset Mall near Benz Circle, Vijayawaada.

Stating that creating entertainment avenues was as important as providing employment to local people, the chief minister said besides modern cinema theatres, Vijayawada would also house five and six-star hotels. Union Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu said a capital does not mean only concrete buildings, good roads, Secretariat, Assembly or bungalows of the Chief Minister, Governor and Ministers; It should have life. “Life means education, entertainment, academic activity, employment and enhanced medical facilities,” he said. The union minister said Vijayawada city had always been a hub of literature and the nerve centre of political activity.

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Amaravati’s itinerary comes to final stage

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Amaravati’s itinerary comes to final stage

The Andhra Pradesh government is giving its final draft to all the arrangements for laying of foundation stone ceremony of new capital Amaravati. The event is going to be a grand affair with different cultural programmes, huge rituals to be performed in the presence of Prime Minister Modi and other national and international personalities.

The AP chief minister Chandrababu Naidu who is monitoring all the arrangements by himself has held a meeting with CRDA officials on Tuesday evening. During this meeting, it was decided that in all there will be three stages which includes one main stage which is accommodated to only 15 members including the PM, the chief minister and few VVIPs.

The second stage will be occupied by foreign ambassadors, lawyers, industrialists and few other celebrities. While the last stage will be accomadated to MPs, MLAs and MLCs. Supreme court chief justice and High court chief justice will be gracing this historical event. Popular actor and dubbing artist Sai Kumar will be hosting this programme. Cultural and folk artists including Drums Sivamani and Kuchibotla Anand will be performing on the occasion.

A massive set for displaying Purna Kalasas carrying mud and water will also be erected.

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Former Chandigarh administrator cautions PM on Amaravati

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Former Chandigarh administrator cautions PM on Amaravati

[intro]Retired IAS and former Administrator of Chandigarh MG Devasahayam also sent an email to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office to caution the PM that his visit to Amravati would be amounting to an act against the thousands of small and marginal farmers, whose livelihood is being trampled upon by the capital project. Dr Devasahayam headed a fact finding committee set up by National Alliance for People’s Movements to study the suitability of the Amaravati area to build a capital city. He says capital city is going to be a Real Estate El dorado of Andrha Pradesh. Following is the edited version of the letter.[/intro]

Dear Mr Misra,

Having led the National Alliance of People’s Movement appointed Fact Finding Mission I have gone into the various aspects of the Andhra Pradesh Capital-City project coming up in Amravati and have fair amount of Information on this. Besides, having been associated with the Chandigarh Capital Project as the Deputy Commissioner cum Estate Officer of the City and Union Territory, I have fair knowledge as to how capital-cities are planned, funded and developed.

The AP state capital in Amravati on which work is proceeding at breakneck speed is in total violation of constitutional provisions, AP Reorganisation Act, Land Acquisition Act-2013 and Environmental Protection Act and Rules made thereunder. Though Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) is the project-proponent in paper, and Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) the project-patron, the project is actually being driven by powerful and moneyed Real Estate operators from Singapore, Hyderabad, AP and Delhi. This project is extremely detrimental to Andhra Pradesh’s agricultural systems, India’s food security and environmental sustainability.

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A brief recap. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014 was enacted by Parliament as per provisions of Article 2, 3 and 4 of the Constitution of India. Under Section 6 of said Act the Central Govt. constituted a Committee headed by late K.C. Sivaramakrishnan, to study various alternatives regarding the New Capital for the successor State of Andhra Pradesh and make appropriate recommendation. ToR for the said Committee inter alia includes following:-

· Least possible dislocation to existing agriculture systems as well as ensure minimum resettlement of people and their habitations.
· Preservation of local ecology and natural features including water bodies.
· Vulnerability assessment from natural disasters like floods, cyclones and earthquakes.
· Assess the scope for minimising the cost of construction and acquisition of land.

Committee did not favor a green-field capital-city for AP at this stage and opined that if the GoAP wants to pursue this option, it has to carry out a careful search for locations where suitably large parcels of government land may be available. Committee after considering all the aspects, found the Vijayavada – Guntur – Tenali – Mangalegiri (VGTM) Region unsuitable for setting up state Capital.

Totally ignoring the Committee Report without assigning any reason, GoAP enacted the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014 (CRDA Act) on 30thDec. 2014 and declared VGTM as Capital city and Capital Region Area. This legislation does not have the assent of President of India and therefore untenable being in conflict with Central Acts.

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To build this capital-city about 35000 acres of land is being coercively ‘pooled’. This area comprises of very fertile agricultural lands, situated in the Krishna Delta and is within the flood affected and seismic Zone i.e. highly susceptible/vulnerable to Natural Calamities like, Flood, Earthquake and Cyclone. GoAP has not complied with even the preliminary requirements for a large capital-city project such as concept paper, population projection, Social Impact Assessment, land survey & requirement study, feasibility study, Environmental Impact Assessment, Detailed Project Report, Master Planning etc. All that has been done is some farcical documentation to get a hurriedly ‘in-principle’ approval from the state environment authorities who are under the administrative control of the project-patron.

It is pertinent here to point out that in Chandigarh which is the most acclaimed capital area in India, only 9000 acres were taken in Phase 1, and 6000 acres in Phase 2, making a total of 15000 acres. These two phases of the city now with a population of 1.2 million has taken more than 60 years for implementation. Chandigarh is low-rise-low-density city with a high percentage of open space in the form of vistas, avenues, gardens, valleys, lakes etc. As against this AP Capital is being planned as high-rise-high-intensity and such a city for a million plus population in a century or so could be built in about 5000 to 6000 acres. Grabbing 35000 acres is nothing but blatant real-estate venture.

GoAP also does not have the funds to carry out even a fraction of the massive capital-city project estimated to cost over Rs. 300,000 crores. Such a huge expenditure cannot be incurred by the State government without adversely affecting budgetary allocations in the State.

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Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) as claimed by GoAP is a sleight-of-hand. In actual fact in order to rush things and coerce farmers into surrendering the land GoAP on 14 May 2015 issued Notification for coercive acquisition of land major tracts of which are irrigated multi-crop land acquisition of which is specifically prohibited under Section 10 of LARR Act, 2013. Also capital-city project does not come under the definition of ‘public purpose’ provided in Section 2 of the LARR Act. What is alarming, this coercively acquired/pooled without paying any compensation to the farmers are being handed over to private agencies on a 99-year lease for commercial exploitation [GOMs No 110 dated 2-5-2015 by GoAP Municipal Adinistration & Urban Development Dept]. It was for this purpose that Section 54 of the CRDA Act provides for ‘Developer Entities’ which are private real estate developers.

AP capital-city project area has two kinds of villages–one with irrigated multi-crop land within 2 km from the river and another with mostly rain fed land. All the villages have a vibrant agricultural economy of Rs.1000 crores per year, with complete linkages from farm to market, and large sections of people deriving livelihoods–including land owners, sharecroppers, tenant farmers and agricultural workers. This is an area of the best soil and climatic conditions, and the richest diversity of more than 120 crops. More than 1 lakh working persons are earning secure livelihood from agriculture in these villages, including the residents and external labour.

The government figures show that 32,153 persons in these villages are mainly dependent on agricultural labour whereas 10,556 persons are mainly dependent on cultivating their land. About 80% of the people involved in agriculture in these villages are landless or marginal farmers who are dependent on agricultural labour and tenancy. There is absolutely no compensation or safeguards being included by the government for these people who will be losing their secure livelihoods.

Master Plan for the capital City is being prepared by a foreign entity in utter secrecy without any consultation process with the stake holders and without taking into consideration the environmental, ecological, social, economic and other ground realities. Prime Minister has been invited to lay the foundation stone on 22 October 2015for a massive capital-city project for which even the basic documentation for land title is not really available with CRDA, the project-proponent. And as per media reports National Green Tribunal on Saturday directed CRDA not to take up any construction-related activity for the new capital-city until the necessary environmental clearances are acquired. NGT also has reportedly restrained the project-proponent from taking up any work, including levelling of the grounds.

Under the circumstances it would be extremely embarrassing for the PM and Government of India to participate in the 22 October function at ‘Amravati’ and lay the foundation stone for a non-existent but extremely hyped ‘project’. It could also be perceived as an act against thousands of small/marginal farmers and agricultural labour whose livelihood would be sacrificed at the altar of this massive, environment-killing Real Estate El dorado which Andhra Pradesh do not require.

From,
M.G.Devasahayam IAS (Retd),
103, Ceebros Bayview, 4th Seaward Road,
Valmikinagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai – 600041
Email: deva1940@gmail.com ; Mobile: 09940174446

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Jagan planning to sabotage Amaravati ceremony : Kishore Babu

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Jagan planning to sabotage Amaravati ceremony : Kishore Babu

Andhra Pradesh social welfare minister Ravela Kishore Babu came down heavily on opposition leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy for his indefinite fast and said Jagan was more interested in spoiling the image of the state rather than getting special status to Andhra Pradesh.

Reacting on the Jagan’s fast in Guntur on the second day , Kishore Babu, who also hails from Guntur, said Jagan’s fast had no support from his own MLAs . ” Rayalaseema people are unhappy with Jagan as he is not taking up Rayalaseema cause and North Andhra people also not happy because he is not talking about their problems. The fast is a unilateral decision of Jagan in the party,” he said, advising Jagan that the opposition leader should first win over the hearts his own MLAs and party workers.

Ravela alleged that Jagan had sit on the fast only to vitiate the atmosphere before the foundation laying ceremony of the Amaravati capital. ” The event is being organized as global event of Telugu Pride. Hundreds of national and international dignitaries, including the Prime Minister Modi, are coming. Instead of joining us to make the program success, he is planning to create confusion and law and order problem in the state,” the minister alleged.

The selection of Guntur as the venue for the fast itself was an indication to his ulterior motive, he added. Kishore Babu charged that Jagan collaborated with Telangana chief minister KCR in creating problem for Telugu people and Andhra Pradesh government in Hyderabad. ” When the state government was fighting with TS government, instead of standing by the government, Jagan chose to join hands with KCR and tried to sabotage the interests of the Telugu people,” he said. If Jagan was really serious of getting special status to Andhra Pradehs, Kishore Babu, said, he should have gone to Delhi and met PM and other Minister to put pressure on them.

“Has he ever visited New Delhi to meet the PM on the special category issue? Has Jagan ever raised the issue with any union minister? No,” he said.

“Now, on the eve of foundation laying ceremony, Jagan wants to create law and order problem and spoil the prestigious issue. We won’t allow this to happen,” Kishore Babu warned.

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Will Naidu’s Charm Offensive for Amaravati Work?

Jinka Nagaraju
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Will Naidu’s Charm Offensive for Amaravati Work?

Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu is using every trick in the book to create a tsunami of Andhra pride and Andhra sentiment in support of Amaravati construction. Sentiment does work politics. His father-in- law NT Ramarao used Andhra pride to build Telugu Desam party and challenged Congress monopoly successfully in 1983. Similarly, Telangana sentiment had been cleverly transformed into a massive separate state movement which finally led to the division united Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra pride or Telugu glory had been used on many occasions in past to achieve political goals. So, Naidu this time is trying to stir up Andhra sentiment for a different purpose- to garner support for a massive construction project ie Amaravati capital.

In the past Andhra Pride had been used for pure political purposes: first for the creation of Andhra state in 1953, and then to defeat Congress in 1983. Now, Naidu needs Andhra pride on the scale of a Tsunami to get people’s approval for many things. 1. Capital location has no support from Rayalaseema. 2. It is a political decision to keep the capital immune from the influence of aggressive Reddys of Rayalaseema 3. Guntur and Krishna districts, where capital zone falls, form the core Andhra area, and basically Kamma Nadu, safe zone for Telugu Desam party, which is generally perceived as party of Kammas. 4. There has been wide-spread opposition from small and marginal farmers across the state for taking over of their lands, though non-irrigated in some cases, for the proposed 5 lakh acre land bank creation 5. growing resentment among the students and youth against the Naidu’s policy of not filling the vacancies in government. ( Naidu’s idea is to cut government expenditure on jobs. He has extended retirement age from 58 to 60 years, which takes care of families. And for youth- wait for a couple of years. Hundreds of companies are setting shop in Andhra and you would get the job of your choice, is his message.)

To bury all these negative factors Naidu needs an extraordinary force – the force is Andhra pride and Andhra glory. All festivals like Sankranti have become occasions to celebrate glorious Andhra culture. Even rules had been relaxed to gamble on cock fights, famous in some Andhra districts. Godavari Pushkaralu had been celebrated with the theme of Andhra and building of capital along with rebuilding of Andhra was the message. The massive crowd at Pushkaralu instilled enormous confidence in Naidu that he could get similar support to Amaravati as well. State government is making Kuchipudi, an Andhra dance form, is part of syllabus.

The height of the Andhra charm offensive will be seen in the run up to construction of Amaravti capital. Naidu wants all Andhras, wherever they are, to donate at least a brick or money worth of a brick. This is to create a sense of belonging among Andhras. He is adopting crowd funding in order to make every Andhra become partner of the capital city. An innovative technique ‘digital brick’ is also being planned for non-resident Andhras in which the donor can affix his signature on the digital brick. He is planning a memorial wall on which the names of all farmers, who offered land under land pooling to the capital, will be engraved on the lines of Indai Gate, New Delhi, which displays the names of soldiers, who died in wars fought by colonial Britain. To praise their sacrifice a program called Rytu Vandanam is being planned on the day of foundation laying on October. In order to present that new capital embodies the spirit of every Andhra village, the government has made arrangements to bring soil from 16000 villages and habitations in Andhra kaslasam. This soil will be mixed with the soil of Amaravati at the point of foundation. The mixing of the soil and the place will be consecrated as the confluence all rivers. Recently the diversion of Godavari water into Krishna basin has been celebrated at Pattiseema as the linking to two mighty Andhra rivers.

The capital has already been given a moniker “people’s capital” notwithstanding the criticism that it was a big real-estate venture by “Naidu & Son Co” by opposition parties. Naidu’s plan is to attract Rs 4 lakh crore for construction of capital along with associated townships and industrial hubs. As the centre is not coming forward to help capital beyond core capital which constitute administrative blocks like Secretariat, Assembly complex, High Court, CMO and Raj Bhavan etc, the only option left is involving the Singapore companies, which are demanding huge land about 5000 ac. in capital region in lieu of the cost of construction of the core capital. The proposal has attracted flak from the people and opposition parties. And, now, Naidu needs a wave of Andhra Pride to push through such business deals. Is it possible to create a, Andhra pride for a project which is going to benefit only a section people: realtors, contractors and leaders?

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All are welcome to Amaravati

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All are welcome to Amaravati

Despite the presence of Prime Minister, an SPG protectee, Andhra Pradesh government wants to convert the Amaravati foundation laying ceremony on October 22, 2015 into a public function. There will be no restriction whatsoever on people attending the function. All are welcome.

Municipal administration minister P Narayana said as the capital was being developed into a peoples’ capital, all people of Andhra Pradesh were welcome to Amaravati foundation laying ceremony.
He said the Prime Minister had conveyed his consent to attend the ceremony. About the venue. the minister said exact location of the foundation laying ceremony would be known in a day or two. The state government had begun the arrangements for the program much in advance, keeping in view the VVIPs and large number of public. ” We have instructed the official too ensure that no one will face any problem during the program,” he said.

Narayana said all the issues related to the land pooling and farmers issues had been resolved up to 95 per cent. “The rest of the issues are minor ones and will be resolved soon,” he said. Yesterday, chief minister Naidu also reviewed the arrangements and asked the official to select the venue for foundation as per the Vastu as it would become a land mark in the history of Amaravati.
” The capital proper would come up in 217 sq km while capital region would spread over 7429 sq km,” he added.

Talking about the construction of capital city, the minister said advanced technology which enable us to build 30 floor building in just two or three months was available in China and Singapore and the government was studying to adapt the it for Amaravati. Revealing that many more farmers were coming forward to contribute the land-pooling, the minister said their offer would be considered at the time of building of greenfield airport which requires about 5000 acres.

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Donations pour in for Amaravati construction

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Donations pour in for Amaravati construction

When some farmers are opposing the proposed inclusion of their villages in the Amaravati capital region, other are liberally extending cooperation to the massive project of construction of world class capital by Andhra government. Farmers of Tullur village in Amaravati capital region today donated Rs 3, 52,675 to capital development committee. A group of farmers today met chief minister Chandrababu Naidu at his camp office in Vijayawada to handover the cheque. They said this was the money they got as rents for their properties. They also announced a donation of Rs 60 lakh to the capital development in near future. They said as they were going to get more money due to the increase in rents in region, they had decided to donate the whole amount they would get to the capital construction.

This is the farmers’ response to the call given by chief minister Naidu for donations for the construction of the capital. Naidu exhorted people to donate at the rate of a brick or equivalent worth money per family to the development of capital . According to Naidu, this is a symbolic participation of the people in the what the calls a “people’s capital of Andhra Pradesh”.

Farmers who met the CM were Kadiyala Vamsikrishna, Vellanki Srinivas Satyaprasad, Kondreddy Venkata Satyanarayana, Suryaprbhakar. Chief minister, while appreciating the gesture of farmers from capital region, said despite the roadblocks created by critics of Amaravati, the development of the capital was going ahead. ” October 22, when the foundation stone will be laid for the new capital by PM Modi, will go down in the history as water mark for the Telugu people,” he said, calling upon people to come forward with donations in order to participate in the capital construction.

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