Once billed as “world-class” capital city, Amaravati is going to be a mere residential colony in the coming days, if the proposal of the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government is put into implementation.
There would be no high-rise buildings comprising global software companies, commercial complexes, multiplexes, international institutions, star hotels, sports complexes, headquarters of corporate companies, iconic towers of non-resident Indians, sprawling theme parks with amphitheatres and recreational facilities and vast network of roads with multi-level flyovers, as projected in the master plan of Amaravati, prepared during the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) under Chandrababu Naidu.
Instead, the city would get sprawling residential colonies for weaker sections, each house being built in an area of one cent (around 48 square feet), apart from houses and shops that would come in the plots allotted to the farmers who had given away their lands to the previous TDP government towards construction of capital city.
“It is going to be a Bahujan Capital (capital for weaker sections) or Sarvajan Capital (Capital for all). It is going to be the real people’s capital,” YSR Congress party spokesman and government chief whip G Srikanth Reddy said.
The YSRC government on Monday issued an order, authorising Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) to earmark 1,251.51 acres of land in six villages of Nowluru, Krinayapalem, Nidamarru, Inavolu, Kuragallu and Mandadam villages that fall under Amaravati capital region.
This land would be distributed among 54,307 families falling below poverty line (BPL), belonging to Vijayawada and Guntur districts at the rate of one cent each for constructing houses under “Navaratnalu-Pedalandiriki Illu” (Houses for the poor as part of nine-promises made by Jagan). The scheme will be launched on March 25, on the occasion of Ugadi (Telugu New Year Day).
According to the official figures, the previous TDP government had acquired 34,281 acres of land from farmers of 29 villages to build the capital city under land pooling system (LPS) and returned over 11,800 acres to the farmers in the form of plots.
The government has already constructed official buildings in 1,575 acres including interim secretariat complex, high court, official bungalows for ministers and judges and residential quarters for MLAs and All India Service officers. Most of these buildings have already been completed to a large extent.
Besides, the previous government had allocated another 1300 acres of land to various institutions like Vellore Institute of Technology, SRM University, Amruta University etc.
As per the master plan, nearly 50 per cent of the pooled land is supposed to be developed for creating trunk infrastructure in the capital, like road network, storm water drainage, drinking water and sewerage lines and power lines, besides development of greenery and water bodies.
“So, the government has been left with only around 8,000 acres of land. Of this, the previous government had planned to monetise around 5,000 acres for raising funds for the development of infrastructure and the remaining 3,000 acres be preserved for future needs,” G Srinivas, a farmer from Krishnayapalem said.
Now, the government is allocating 1,251 acres towards weaker section housing in the first phase in six villages. “In the coming days, the remaining land, too, is likely to be allocated for housing programme. So, what will be seen in Amaravati is not a developed capital city, but several colonies of weaker section houses and that of other residents,” Srinivas said.
TDP legislator A Satyaprasad condemned the distribution of Amaravati lands towards weaker section housing programme. “The previous TDP government acquired lands from farmers without paying them any money for the capital. Instead of purchasing new lands, it is atrocious the YSRC government is using this freely-acquired land for the housing programme,” he said.
The YSRC leaders argue that the CRDA Act clearly says that at least five per cent of the total area pooled under Land Pooling Scheme may be allotted for providing affordable housing for the poor. Already, an extent of 87.02 acres of land pooled under LPS in Amaravati was utilised for housing purpose for the poor.
“So, what is wrong in giving the land to the landless poor?” asked Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy.
