Road and rail connectivity, availability of water and low probability of natural calamities were the positive features that made Andhra Pradesh favour Amavarati as the location for a new capital, pleaded State’s legal counsel A.K. Ganguli before the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi on Thursday.
Mr. Ganguli said that the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh made it necessary for the residual State to build a new capital for itself.
He said that the A.P. government selected the area between Vijayawada and Guntur for the new capital because it fulfilled all the guidelines laid down by the Sivaramakrishnan Committee that was constituted by the Central government to recommend a few suitable places for the construction of a new capital for the residual State.
Mr. Ganguli further told the tribunal that the State government was planning to build a green capital at Amaravati. The government decided that the Amaravati was the most suitable place for the capital of a thorough search in all the 13 districts of the State.
The availability of an airport that could be upgraded was yet another factor that favoured the selection of the venue, Mr. Ganguli said.
As per the A.P Reorganisation Act, only 10 years was given for the development of a new capital.
The difficulties involved in the building of a new capital in such a short time should be appreciated, Mr. Ganguli told the tribunal.
Central location
Hyderabad was located in the heart of Telangana, equidistant from all its districts. The Vijayawada-Guntur area enjoyed a similar advantage, counsel argued. The tribunal was also told that after bifurcation, Telangana became a revenue-surplus State, but A.P. became a revenue deficit one.
Mr. Ganguli said he would address more issues on the second day of the hearing on Friday.
