The foundation stone for the new capital city of Amaravati for the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh is likely to be laid on June 6, even as some more grounds of land are yet to be pooled in due to local resistance. The Andhra Pradesh Government has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the stone laying ceremony slated for the morning of June 6.
The event coincides with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu completing one year in office on June 8. A number of events are being planned around the occasion . The fine-tuned master plan for the capital will be handed over by Singapore later this month.
The construction works are likely to commence during the Dussera festival, according to government sources.
The majority of the land required for development of the new capital city has been pooled in by the State. Some of the land parcels are yet to be acquired as they are disputed by the farmers.
About 33,000 acres of land around Vijayawada and Guntur towns has thus far been pooled in. However, in about 600 acres where there is resistance, the State is planning to apply the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act. It is also considering pooling in another chunk of 1,200 acres on the banks of river Krishna for the capital requirement.
Mentioning about the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 effective from January 2014, the State has decided to bypass its applicability with the AP capital city area.
A section of local land owners are unwilling to part with their land. Some of the political parties including Congress, YSRCP, and Left parties have come out in support of the land owners. It is to be seen how this would be sorted out before June 6.