In all likelihood, AP’s new capital will come up between Vijayawada-Guntur and Tenali.
According to senior officials involved in the search for a location for the new capital, the exact place will be announced by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu along with a Central panel constituted for the purpose.
The Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri region is the frontrunner mainly because of the connectivity it offers and its central location in Andhra Pradesh. The nearest airport, at Gannavaram, is also seen as an advantage.
“Guntur district has 1.30 lakh hectares of forest land which, if de-notified, can be utilised for supporting the new capital. Availability of plenty of water from the Krishna is also a positive factor,” the official said. The Guntur airport has an abandoned runway that can be quickly refurbished, he added.
Though initially conceived merely as an administrative capital with the Assembly, Secretariat, Raj Bhavan and other key government offices, the thinking has now changed to a larger, modern city. It is, after all, likely to house industries and business establishments. A delegation of industrialists and Nasscom also surveyed the region and gave a positive feedback. The feasibility of a cyber city near Gannavaram and a pharma city at Repally are being examined.
The speculation over the new capital had included Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and Ongole. These cities had strong proponents who raised their voice from time to time. A UPA government search committee had visited half a dozen locations.
Building the cityThe Government machinery is gearing up to build the new capital once the location is finalised. An apex New Capital Committee will be formed with sub-committees for land acquisition, town-planning, traffic, etc.
As per the AP Reorganisation Act, the industries being set up in the capital or any industrial cluster to be identified by the State Government will be eligible for incentives. The tax incentives have already drawn positive response from industrialists. Already industries headquartered in Hyderabad are shifting base to Seemandhra.