What is the reaction of people in Vijayawada and Guntur to all the euphoric talk about Amaravati? Is there a sense of pride that a world-class capital is coming up in their midst or is there sibling jealousy? While the new city will be endowed with metropolitan adornments, does Vijayawada feel that its desperate need for a proper sewerage system is being ignored? Will Vijayawada end up as a poor cousin of Amaravati? The answer, from a cross section of people The Hindu spoke to in Vijayawada, is an emphatic No. A majority of the respondents cited the examples of Hyderabad-Cyberabad, Delhi-Noida and Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar to assert that regardless of the degree of development in Amaravati, Vijayawada will retain its special place.
Vikas Gora
Disaster Management Specialist, Vijayawada
What the new capital of Andhra Pradesh will look like is not clear at this point. A lot of infrastructure marketing is happening but the human face of development may take time to show out. We get to see glimpses of the road to infrastructure but the road to opportunities is not yet seen. Unless that happens, one cannot call it an indicator of development. The Government may have big plans of raising tall buildings. I personally don’t care whether I work from a 40-storey building or a two-storey one. Human resource development is what matters. For me what is important is how many white-collar jobs will be created in Amaravati. Because that’s the only way to build an economy. The vision of employability is important. You can’t only erect buildings and forget the human beings.
What will Vijayawada be when Amaravati comes up? Amaravati will develop as a commercial hub while Vijayawada will remain a residential hub. No, this city will not be an inferior city. The fact is Amaravati’s lands are controlled by people in Vijayawada.
M.R.K. Murthy,
CEO, Campus Careers, Vijayawada
Drawing a comparison between Hyderabad-Cyberabad and Vijayawada-Amaravati is not right because Vijayawada is a bigger place and has a hoary past. This city never depended on any outside factor for its growth. We haven’t had very good politicians around and yet the city managed to grow on its own essentially because of its central location.
Even after Amaravati comes up, most industries will come here because industrialists look for a place with good transportation. Vijayawada offers good connectivity. Amaravati may house government buildings but most people will choose to reside here. Amaravati will be like what is Machilipatnam now is to Krishna district.
Poonam Raj,Housewife, Vijayawada
Vijayawada and Amaravati will be akin to Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. Though Gandhinagar is the capital of Gujarat, most development is taking place in and around Ahmedabad. This can be attributed to the good connectivity of the place.
The same will be the case with Vijayawada. We have good connectivity: roads, rail and air. In fact, I foresee Vijayawada developing at a very fast pace once the capital city construction begins. Many new establishments are already coming up in and around Vijayawada. We cannot ignore the fact that visitors to Amaravati will have to pass through Vijayawada. This city is set to embrace a cosmopolitan culture in the days to come.
Tannu Sahni,
Entrepreneur, Vijayawada
Vijayawada has already developed to a certain level whereas Amaravati has to start from scratch. We have good road, rail and air connectivity. We already have the infrastructure to build on. The same thing can’t be said about Amaravati which will first have to reach the level of Vijayawada and then surpass it.
Take for instance Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon, which have witnessed huge development in the last few years. But that has not affected Delhi in any way.
Vasu Chebrolu,Managing Partner, Parkville Constructions, Guntur
It may appear now that Vijayawada will be reduced to being a poor cousin of Amaravati. Its entire liquidity is being sucked into the capital region and those in real need of an apartment are contemplating investment in the capital region. People have reason to expect that the rate of return on investment in capital region will be high. These are difficult times for the construction sector in Guntur and Vijayawada. We want the State Government to come out with a clear policy on urban development and for now, we want the government to immediately relocate staff, infrastructure from Hyderabad to Guntur/Vijayawada.
L.S.N. Prasad,
Prof. of Economics, Hindu College
We have not witnessed any spatial growth ever since the State Government announced its plans to construct a world class riverfront capital. Vijayawada may have some gains, but Guntur will be reduced to a poor cousin of Amaravati. The 21{+s}{+t} century capital may give a boost to the construction sector, but it will take some time for IT and other firms to set up shop here. The government should set its priorities right. Will a metro corridor serve its purpose in Vijayawada? Why is the BRTS Road, on which crores of rupees were spent, hardly used?
