Singapore Government to Design, Build Parts of New Andhra Pradesh Capital

HYDERABAD:The design and construction work of some clusters in the proposed “gigantic world-class capital city” as being envisaged by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for Andhra Pradesh, on the lines of Singapore city, is likely to be awarded to the Singapore government.

Naidu, who wants the new capital city of AP to be dotted with skyscrapers, amusement parks, skyways and nightclubs to make it join the club of ultra-modern cities in the world, is understood to be keen on taking the help of the government of the island nation in constructing the new capital of the reorganised state.

A team of architects and designers, along with officials of the Singapore government, are likely to visit AP either by the end of this month or in the first week of December with a blueprint for the new capital city.

“During his three-day visit to Singapore, Chief Minister Naidu has made up his mind to enter into an agreement with the Singapore government for preparing a master plan for the new capital, where he wants to replicate the planned Singapore city,” said an official who had accompanied Naidu during his just-concluded visit.

The officer further disclosed that Naidu, who is time and again saying that he would transform the reorganised AP into another Singapore, had almost decided take the help of Singapore government not only in the construction of the new capital but also developing ports across the coast of AP, besides transforming the State into a tourism hub.

“Naidu wants to have G2G (government to government) model partnership between various departments in the AP government and their counterparts in Singapore government. At the same time, he is also planning to enter into PPP (Public Private Partnership) agreements with some top-rated private companies in the island nation to award construction works of new capital to them,” said source.

In fact, G2G concept is the online non-commercial interaction between organisations and departments of one government and their counterparts in another government. The Chief Minister is understood to be considering this option so as to avail the best practices that are being implemented in Singapore while constructing ultra-modern structures and developing ports.

During his interaction with various ministers and top officials of Singapore government, Naidu is learnt to have asked them to prepare a plan not only for the construction of a modern capital for AP but also on sectors such as tourism, ports and housing, where the island nation can offer its services to AP.

After the Singapore delegation’s proposed visit to AP along with the blueprint for new capital, a high-level team from AP government will once again visit the island nation to hold further talks with the government of Singapore on possible areas of cooperation between the two governments. “Various departments of AP will also prepare comprehensive plans identifying areas and projects which can be executed with the cooperation of Singapore government,” said a senior official.

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