HYDERABAD: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has decided to build an ultra-modern capital for the State — resembling Singapore — will be busy touring the island nation from Monday to Tuesday.
As the two Singapore agencies, Surbana International Consultants and Jurong International, have almost finished drawing up the blueprint of the new capital, Naidu left for the island nation Sunday night to review the progress of the same and suggest changes, if any. Naidu’s visit begins with a breakfast meeting with Singapore’s Foreign Minister K Shanmugam and Ambassador-at-Large Gopinath Pillai followed by a high-level meeting with Singapore’s Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran. Later, he and his delegation will take part in a seminar, where businessmen and industrialists will meet him. He will also attend a meeting on solid waste management and ink an MoU with the National University of Singapore. On Tuesday, the Chief Minister will meet Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and visit the Bishan Park and Toa Payoh Town. Before flying back, he will pay a visit to the Ascendas Science Park.
In fact, the two Singapore firms submitted the draft master plan to Naidu a few days ago. As per the draft, the proposed capital region will be spread across approximately 7,325 sq km within the Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri limits. In the 33,000 acres of procured land, the government will first develop the core capital city. Naidu wants to start construction works of the new capital before June 2.
Capital region to be named after NTR?
Naidu, who is planning to give the ancient name of “Amaravathi” to the new capital to restore Telugu pride, will place this proposal before the Cabinet on April 1. “There is a strong demand from a section of TDP leaders to accommodate NTR’s name. Naidu may christen the capital region after NTR by declaring it a separate district,” said a TDP leader.