Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu is pinning hopes on his renewed contacts in Singapore to develop a world class capital city near Vijayawada.
While banking on Singapore’s innovative urban housing model Punggol, which is meant for low income groups, Mr. Naidu says the subsidised housing project will prove to be a revolutionary change in bridging the gap between the haves and have-nots in the proposed capital city.
Speaking to The Hindu , at the Shangri La Hotel here, Mr. Naidu said several industries and the Government of Singapore have come forward to invest in the new State.
What are the innovative aspects you are fascinated about in Singapore? Do you think such advanced model is suitable for Andhra Pradesh?
We are impressed with the way Singapore could utilise technology and create an ideal business, social and ecological environment within a short span of time. What we can look at is the iconic urban housing projects Punggol which is created for low income groups. The project is highly subsidised as land is given by government and allotments and easy long term loans are facilitated transparently. Such a project in an upmarket area ensures permanent housing for those who cannot afford. The same property fetches almost five to ten times the return after five years lock-in period for the allotted. Besides paying compensation, we are looking at such successful models to compensate farmers and others who contribute land for the capital.
After becoming the first Chief Minister of AP, this is your first visit to your favourite country Singapore. You came here with a mission to attract investments to build the capital city and State. How was the response from firms and the Singapore government?
Our ‘Brand Hyderabad’ is still working here. I renewed all my old contacts and made new ones. The interesting aspect is that along with the Singapore government, there are several investors and reputed firms, who have evinced interest in taking part in developing the capital city.
You are talking about huge projects, especially building cities in PPP mode? Do you think it is practical? Who will be funding the development?
We are working on many components which will be built in PPP mode. We have already gone for land pooling. Replicating Singapore-like city was our poll promise and people welcomed it. We have sufficient technology and there are good partners. Capital is not just about offices, there will be commercial activity, social life, financial district, tourism, educational systems and entertainment etc.
You said farmers are ready to share 30,000 acres for the capital. At the same time, the Opposition and others are raising concerns especially about farmers with small holdings. How do you view it?
We will take care of farmers’ concerns. We are inclined to sort out reasonable demands and our ultimate objective is people’s welfare. We are coming up with a plan for farmers, small farmers and landless labour. Our goal is to create better livelihood along with innovative and workable compensation.
Singapore has automatic ERP system to scan vehicles at toll gates and excellent infrastructure that includes roads and flyovers. And our aspiration is to replicate such assets. Do you thing it is practical enough as it needs huge investment which we are not prepared to do?
Everything we discussed is possible with the technology that is already available. We just need to integrate and start using it. There is no issue with money. It will come automatically from several quarters. Wherever there is transparency, there is income. For instance, we can save about Rs. 100 crore a month with the introduction of Aadhaar linked e-pass in public distribution system. The one time investment is just Rs. 80 crore. You can save a lot of money and further generate a lot of money through such transparent systems. All you need is good policies.
While banking on Singapore’s innovative urban housing model Punggol, which is meant for low income groups, Mr. Naidu says the subsidised housing project will prove to be a revolutionary change in bridging the gap between the haves and have-nots in the proposed capital city.
Speaking to The Hindu, at the Shangri La Hotel here, Mr. Naidu said several industries and the Government of Singapore have come forward to invest in the new State.
What are the innovative aspects you are fascinated about in Singapore? Do you think such advanced model is suitable for Andhra Pradesh?
We are impressed with the way Singapore could utilise technology and create an ideal business, social and ecological environment within a short span of time. What we can look at is the iconic urban housing projects Punggol which is created for low income groups. The project is highly subsidised as land is given by government and allotments and easy long term loans are facilitated transparently. Such a project in an upmarket area ensures permanent housing for those who cannot afford.
The same property fetches almost five to ten times the return after five years lock-in period for the allotted. Besides paying compensation, we are looking at such successful models to compensate farmers and others who contribute land for the capital.
After becoming the first Chief Minister of AP, this is your first visit to your favourite country Singapore. You came here with a mission to attract investments to build the capital city and State. How was the response from firms and the Singapore government?
Our ‘Brand Hyderabad’ is still working here. I renewed all my old contacts and made new ones. The interesting aspect is that along with the Singapore government, there are several investors and reputed firms, who have evinced interest in taking part in developing the capital city.
You are talking about huge projects, especially building cities in PPP mode? Do you think it is practical? Who will be funding the development?
We are working on many components which will be built in PPP mode. We have already gone for land pooling. Replicating Singapore-like city was our poll promise and people welcomed it. We have sufficient technology and there are good partners. Capital is not just about offices, there will be commercial activity, social life, financial district, tourism, educational systems and entertainment etc.
You said farmers are ready to share 30,000 acres for the capital. At the same time, the Opposition and others are raising concerns especially about farmers with small holdings. How do you view it?
We will take care of farmers’ concerns. We are inclined to sort out reasonable demands and our ultimate objective is people’s welfare. We are coming up with a plan for farmers, small farmers and landless labour. Our goal is to create better livelihood along with innovative and workable compensation.
Singapore has automatic ERP system to scan vehicles at toll gates and excellent infrastructure that includes roads and flyovers. And our aspiration is to replicate such assets. Do you thing it is practical enough as it needs huge investment which we are not prepared to do?
Everything we discussed is possible with the technology that is already available. We just need to integrate and start using it. There is no issue with money. It will come automatically from several quarters. Wherever there is transparency, there is income. For instance, we can save about Rs. 100 crore a month with the introduction of Aadhaar linked e-pass in public distribution system. The one time investment is just Rs. 80 crore. You can save a lot of money and further generate a lot of money through such transparent systems. All you need is good policies.
