VIJAYAWADA: Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister P Narayana inaugurated the jungle clearance work in Amaravati on Monday, marking the revival of the Andhra Pradesh capital project after five years of stagnation.
This initiative, prompted by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, aims to remove thorn bushes and rejuvenate the region, which had been neglected by the previous YSRC government. He highlighted the cooperative spirit of farmers who had pooled 34,000 acres of land for Amaravati between 2014 and 2019, in just 38 days, trusting the CM’s vision.
He criticised the previous YSRC government for proposing three capitals including, Visakhapatnam, Kurnool, and Amaravati, causing distress among farmers. He expressed gratitude to the resilient farmers who endured the challenges and extended their lease periods by another five years.
The jungle clearance project, awarded to Nagarjuna Constructions Company Limited (NCC) for Rs 36.5 crore, aims to clear 23,429 acres of bushes within 30 days. Narayana emphasised that this is the first step towards the full-scale development of Amaravati, enabling farmers to locate their returnable plots.
He assured that the government is committed to compensating landless poor by extending their pensions for another five years. He said the engineering experts from IIT Hyderabad and IIT Madras have inspected the stalled constructions and a preliminary report will soon be submitted, guiding the government’s decisions on resuming construction. Tadikonda MLA Tenali Sravan Kumar said the commencement of jungle clearance marks a significant milestone in Amaravati’s journey.