Ongole, the district headquarters of Prakasam district, may be in the reckoning as the capital of a new Seemandhra State. The coastal town could be developed into the new capital because of the availability of vast government land available.
Other options in the Seemandhra region are also being explored, a process that includes identifying a large chunk of government land between Rajahmundry and Vijayawada.
However, the government may find it difficult to get desired extent of land in places other than Ongole.
It needs not less than 15,000 acres to develop a new capital. The backward of Ongole has its own problems as it faces severe drinking water crises every summer. Besides, it lacks proper infrastructure for a capital. Barring rail and road connectivity, there is no airport.
If the government chooses an area between Rajahmundry and Vijayawada, it may have to shell out a high rehabilitation package for land to be acquired. One advantage of such a location is that it has good water resources.
