Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday took the first concrete step towards building a new capital for the State, performing the bhoomi puja for “a world-class capital city named Amaravati after the mythological City of Gods.”
He announced his resolve to develop it into an economic hub, beating even Singapore.
“This will be a dynamic city, accessible to all, a people’s capital,” Mr. Naidu said.
A series of rituals were held to propitiate the Earth, with the consecration of a cornerstone, which traditionally preceded the founding of villages in the Telugu country, and the sowing of a field with navadhanyalu (nine chief grains).
The actual work on the capital will commence on Vijaya Dasami with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to lay the foundation stone.
Mr. Naidu joined the rituals at 8.49 a.m. To mark the embedding of the cornerstone, the Chief Minister and his family scooped cement from a silver bowl with a gold-plated trowel and applied it to the masonry. Union Ministers P. Ashok Gajapati Raju, Nirmala Sitaraman and Y. Satyanarayana Chowdary, Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, a host of State Ministers, MPs, MLAs and senior officials participated. Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu did not attend the function.
Blames Congress for fiscal constraints
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister launched a trenchant attack on Saturday on the Congress for the “irrational manner” in which the State was divided, leaving the residuary entity with a budget deficit of Rs. 15,700 crore in the first year with little room for borrowing owing to fiscal responsibility norms.
The State government was, however, firm in its resolve to convert the crisis into an opportunity and ensure accelerated development of the new State, he said, during the ground breaking ceremony for the new capital of the state, called Amaravati.
Mr.Naidu claimed that the credibility his government enjoyed within the country and abroad would come in handy in this regard.
The active interest that countries like Japan, Singapore and China have evinced in his capital project was reflective of this.
Plans ready
Mr. Naidu said the Singapore agencies that were entrusted with the task of preparing the master plan for Amaravati had already done so submitted their plans for the first two phases of the future city. Plans for the ‘seed’ capital would be submitted shortly, encompassing administrative and economic aspects as well as opportunities in tourism and other sectors.
Lauding the farmers who volunteered to part with their lands for the capital, he said these ryots would have the first right in the developmental of the new capital. The government was also considering options like skill development programmes for farm labourers who would be affected by the land pooling process.
Union Minister Nirmala Sitaraman assured the Central government’s fullest support to the State in the construction of the new capital. “There is no scope for any doubt or debate over the Centre's commitment to helping Andhra Pradesh,” she said. As the Minister spoke, there was a brief shower of pre-monsoon rain, and she said this was a sign of assent from the elements.
