HYDERABAD: In a shrewd move, the Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh has decided to name the new capital city, proposed to be built near Tullur between Vijayawada and Guntur, after Amaravathi —it may not ring a bell for people outside the state but the name is loaded with history and pride of the Telugu people.
The actual town of Amaravathi, located on the banks of the river Krishna at a distance of about 30 km from the planned capital, is known for its Buddhist heritage but few are aware it was once the Delhi of Bharat—it was from here that the Satavahanas had ruled much of India from 230 BCE to 220 CE. At a time when the people are aggrieved over the division of the state into Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh and smarting at the ‘humiliating’ loss of the prized capital, Hyderabad, the TDP, which came to power in the truncated state on the promise of reviving ‘past glory’, could not have chosen a better name or place for the new capital. By naming the city as the ‘Abode of Immortals’, the government has sought to boost the pride and reassert the identity of Telugus.
“Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has decided to name the new capital after the ancient capital of Telugus with the same name. The government will issue orders to that effect very shortly,” Labour and Employment Minister K Atchennaidu said. Amarvathi was originally named after Amareswara Swamy Temple (see pic), one of the Pancharamas in the south. This town and the neighbouring Dharanikota had once served as the imperial capital for the Satavahanas who succeeded the Mauryas and contributed to Buddhist art and architecture. After Ashoka the Great, it was the Satavahanas who built imposing stupas in the country, especially in the Krishna river valley, including the one at Amaravathi, which continued to be the capital of many Andhra rulers until the Moghul era.
It was not without reason that Naidu rejected demands from some leaders to name the capital after TDP founder NT Rama Rao. Sources said Naidu wants to create a brand new image for the capital in the country and abroad. “Amaravathi has Buddhist heritage and he wants to name the capital after it to attract tourists,” TDP’s Pushpa Raj explained.
It’s Going to be Twin Sister of Hyderabad!
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu wants to lay foundation for the new capital city by June 2, the first anniversary of the division of the State and formation of Telangana.
Naidu is planning to build the capital on either side of river Krishna. Of the targeted 35,000 acres, the government has so far procured 32,000 acres from local farmers through the land pooling scheme. Cultivation of new crops by farmers belonging to the 29 villages that have been earmarked for the new capital city has been banned from May 1.
Though intellectuals and politicos have warned the government against construction of the capital on the lines of Hyderabad, where all development is concentrated in and around it, the draft blueprint for the new capital looks exactly like a Hyderabad master plan.
As per the draft plan, industrial clusters and townships will come up in and around the new capital in keeping with the Chief Minister’s desire for a ‘gigantic world-class capital’ that can serve as an economic powerhouse for the State.
Vijayawada and the new capital will be developed as business and trading hubs in IT, ITeS, electronics, auto and agri-processing sectors. Similarly, a pharmaceutical hub, fabrication hub with focus on rubber and fabricated material, an economic hub with FTZ/SEZ zones, textile, auto, aerospace and IT/ITeS industries, aquaculture hub with logistics park along with an agricultural trading hub with agro-processing and textile industries are proposed around the capital. In short, it’s a replication of Hyderabad.
Masters from Singapore, Japan Roped in
The name may be ancient but Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu wants the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravathi, to be modern and smart much like Singapore. He has awarded the contract for preparing the master plan to two Singapore firms, Surbana International Consultants and Jurong International. They are expected to submit the master plan by May-end.
According to the draft master plan, the proposed Capital Region will be spread across approximately 7,325 sq km within the Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalgiri limits. The core capital will extend up to 125 sq km. The government will first develop the core capital by 2018. As per the MoU between the Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh and the International Enterprise of Singapore on the master plan and development of the capital city and region, “both parties will cooperate in planning and construction of the capital as a modern, vibrant, sustainable and smart city with a strong economy, excellent social amenities and efficient transport and logistics networks.”
The principal participating entities are the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) from Singapore and the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) from AP. “These two Singapore companies will submit the master plan of the core capital by May-end. The blueprint for the peripheral capital will be prepared by both Singapore and Japanese companies,” said AP Urban Development Minister P Narayana.
“As Singapore has expertise in construction of ultra-modern cities, we are taking their guidance,” said Chief Minister Naidu. “New capital will be a world-class and smart city and will be designed in such a way as to attract investments from across the globe. The Singapore government will use its international experience and best practices to prepare the master plan for not just the capital but also economic activity, wealth generation and employment opportunities,” he added.
The Singapore government has appointed its diplomat of Indian origin Gopinath Pillai as its envoy to AP government to oversee activities of construction of the new capital. Pillai will try to bring global investments to AP, besides looking after construction of the capital. Naidu, who visited Japan, wants to involve it also. Ideas of Japan will be integrated into the master plan, he said.