VIJAYAWADA: With the cessation of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) through the APCRDA Repeal Act, 2020, the state government has notified the Amaravati Metropolitan Region Development Authority (AMRDA) late on Saturday night. An order notifying the area and also constituting the authority’s members has been issued.
Though the order (MS 155) was initially released as a confidential one on Saturday evening, it was later made accessible to the public late in the night. As per the order, issued by Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) secretary J Syamala Rao, the AMRDA shall be deemed to be comprising such area as hitherto comprised in the AP Capital Region notified under Act 11 of 2014 (APCRDA Act, 2014).
While the chairperson will be appointed through another order, the State government said the MAUD secretary will be the authority deputy chairperson and AMRDA commissioner the member convenor.
For the record, as per the APCRDA Act, 2014, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was the chairperson of the authority, while MAUD Minister Botcha Satyanarayana is the vice chairperson. However, as per the APCRDA Repeal Act, 2020, the AMRDA has been notified under the Andhra Pradesh Metropolitan Region and Urban Development Authorities Act, 2016. Hence, the appointment of the chairperson will be made by the government. According to sources, the chairperson will most likely be a legislator.
The members of the AMRDA include the Principal Secretary (Finance), Krishna and Guntur district collectors, director of the town and country planning, deputy transport commissioner of Guntur district, superintendent engineers (roads and buildings) of Guntur and Krishna districts, superintendent engineer (APTRANSCO) of Vijayawada, superintendent engineer (APCPDCL) of Vijayawada.
More members from Environment department and experts of national or international repute, who possess knowledge in urban governance, urban planning, conservation, environment and transportation will also be a part of the authority, and will be appointed in the due course.
With the AMRDA coming into force, the APCRDA commissioner would become the metropolitan commissioner. To this effect, the government issued another order notifying the same, and also stated that P Lakshmi Narasimham, who has been the APCRDA commissioner since June, 2019, would continue as the AMRDA commissioner.
Confidential order in public glare
The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department, which issued four confidential orders on Saturday evening, has made one order public late in the night and changed the status of the remaining three orders to ‘not issued’.
The MAUD department had issued orders, related to APCRDA, MS 155, MS 156, MS 157 and MS 158 initially. While MS 155 has been made public, the remaining three orders have been changed to ‘not issued’