The Andhra Pradesh government and Singapore signed several pacts here on Thursday for the development of a start-up area (1,691 acres) in the new capital, Amaravati. The papers were signed and exchanged by senior officials of the state government and Singapore in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Singapore Trade Minister S. Iswaran.

The land would be handed over in three phases - 660 acres in the first phase - to the Singapore companies for infrastructure development and other promotional activities. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said it marked "a historic beginning to the development of the new capital" and Singapore would assist the state in making Amaravati a world-class city.

He said Singapore has been helpful to the state in capital development and had prepared the master plan. The third meeting of the joint implementation steering committee in the city had decided to establish air connection between Vijayawada and Singapore from next month. "It is quite essential for our joint efforts to develop the capital and to place our capital on the world map," he said.

Iswaran said Singapore would join hands with the state government not only in building the new capital, Amaravati, but in various other activities such as skill development, institution building, industrial development and agri business. He said Singapore had also set up a separate Amaravati Development Office to focus on capital development. There would also be greater people-to-people contact, with the growing co-operation between AP and Singapore.

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