AP govt confidence over Centre approval for Amaravati capital’s legal status

Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana on Tuesday said the State government would raise the issue of granting legal status to Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh's capital with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his upcoming visit, and expressed confidence that a positive response from the Centre would come soon.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Amaravati on May 2, where he will launch capital region development works worth Rs 43,000 crore. Addressing reporters after inspecting the meeting venue behind the Secretariat, Narayana said that Amaravati's reconstruction will officially begin with the Prime Minister’s visit.

Narayana said the Chandrababu Naidu-led government is committed to realizing the vision of Amaravati as an international capital, built according to the master plan prepared with assistance from Singapore. He said groundwork had already begun before 2019, with over Rs 5,000 crore paid to contractors and Rs 41,000 crore worth of works initiated.

Criticising the previous YSRCP regime, Narayana said the capital development was stalled by reverse tendering and legal hurdles. “Contractors' agreements were not cancelled, but political indecision and delays caused setbacks,” he said.

He further stated that CM Naidu had recently held a two-hour meeting with farmers from the 29 villages who had given up their land for the capital. “The farmers urged the Chief Minister to pursue legal recognition of Amaravati through Parliament,” Narayana said, adding that officials have been instructed to examine the matter.

Narayana said all arrangements for the Prime Minister's visit would be completed by Wednesday and that security measures were being put in place without compromise.