VIJAYAWADA: Buoyed by the response to its initiative of taking visitors to the Polavaram project site to see the progress, the State government now is planning to arrange free trips to capital Amaravati.
The AP Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) is learnt to have been discussing the modalities to finalise a plan to organise free trips for the people who want to witness the history in the making of Amaravati.
Speaking to TNIE, a top ranking CRDA official said, “Vice-chairman of CRDA and Municipal Minister P Narayana has proposed the idea of showcasing the progress of works in Amaravati to the public on the lines of the Polavaram trip. We are yet to finalise modalities for the plan.” It maybe recalled that the Water Resources Department arranged free buses from the headquarters of all the districts across the State from April 23 to show the progress of Polavaram project to interested people.
The department had allocated `22.5 crore to arrange conveyance, food and other facilities during the visit. It even distributed books, pamphlets and brochures related to the project. According to Water Resources Minister Devinen Umamaheswara Rao, more than 12,000 people visited the Polavaram project site between April 23 and May 20 under the scheme.
With Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu dubbing AP as A for Amaravati and P for Polavaram, the free trip to Amaravati is expected to be launched shortly. The officials expect that the initiative will also help in effectively taking into the public the ‘real progress’ in the capital construction. “In a record time, we have started constructions. The works are going on at a brisk pace. So, if the public sees the progress with their own eyes, the real picture will be projected,” another official maintained.