VIJAYAWADA: Even as the construction of the Amaravati capital resumes with renewed vigour, a crucial decision regarding additional land acquisition for a proposed international airport remains pending.
Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development P Narayana, during his visit to Ananthavaram village in the capital city area on Saturday, confirmed that no final decision has been made on whether land for the airport would be acquired through land pooling or land acquisition.
The Minister said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is keen on developing Amaravati into a mega city by integrating Mangalagiri, Tadepalli, Guntur, and Vijayawada. As part of this plan, a world-class international airport is proposed to be built over 5,000 acres. However, the total land required for the project, including infrastructure like roads and drainage systems, would amount to 30,000 acres.
Narayana pointed out that local MLAs have expressed concern over potential losses to farmers if the land is acquired through the traditional land acquisition method.
Min: Land pooling offers better benefits, including returnable plots to farmers
He explained that in such cases, farmers receive only 2.5 times the registration value, while land pooling offers better benefits, including returnable developed plots. “Farmers also prefer land pooling, as it is more advantageous to them,” the Minister said.
He reiterated that the government has not yet taken a decision on which method to adopt, but stressed that extensive planning is underway. He recalled how farmers had voluntarily contributed 34,000 acres in just 58 days during the first phase of Amaravati’s development in 2015 under the land pooling scheme.
The Minister accused the previous government of stalling the capital’s progress by halting construction midway and failing to cancel tenders, which delayed revival efforts due to legal complications. “It took eight months to resolve the issues created by the previous regime,” he said.
Narayana said construction in Amaravati is now progressing at a brisk pace, with tenders worth Rs 42,360 crore finalised for 68 projects, all of which are currently underway. The Mines Department has allocated 851 acres of land to the CRDA for gravel, and the excavation depth at Ananthavaram hill, previously assigned to CRDA, will be assessed through a drone survey.
The government is also exploring ways to utilise the remaining vacant land. The Minister assured that the capital’s development will be completed within a defined timeline including official residences within a year, trunk roads in 18 months, layout roads in two and a half years, and iconic buildings in three years.