Villages where land pooling is under way for Amaravati’s development will not hold elections for now, Andhra Pradesh Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P. Narayana said while reviewing progress on capital-region works.
The decision affects villages involved in the land-pooling process for the proposed capital. The minister’s statement places the electoral status of these settlements alongside the ongoing administrative and construction work being coordinated by the Capital Region Development Authority and Amaravati Development Corporation Limited.
During the review, Narayana directed the agencies, engineers, contractors and other implementing teams to accelerate construction after recent rains. He also asked them to increase the workforce and maintain adequate supplies of building materials. Around 35,000 workers are currently engaged across various Amaravati projects, according to the report.
Construction has reached several key stages. The first diagrid of the capital’s planned iconic towers has been completed, while foundation work for the Assembly and High Court buildings is nearing completion. Buildings intended for officials and public representatives are also reported to be almost ready. Inaugurations of completed buildings are scheduled to begin after November 11.
The scale of the planned road network is another indicator of the development programme under way in the capital region. Amaravati’s network includes 350 kilometres of trunk roads and 1,500 kilometres of layout roads. Authorities are also giving special attention to the development of returnable plots allotted to farmers who participated in the land-pooling process.
The land-pooling framework has made the participating villages central to Amaravati’s development model. Farmers contribute land for capital-region projects and receive returnable plots and other associated benefits under the arrangement. The minister’s statement means that local elections in villages where the process is still under way will remain pending for the time being, although the report does not specify a date for elections or the administrative mechanism that will apply until then.
Land pooling for an International Sports City spread across three villages is largely complete. More than 75 per cent of that process is expected to be completed by the end of November. The project is part of a wider development programme that combines government buildings, roads, residential and institutional layouts and other planned urban infrastructure.
Connectivity planning is also moving forward. A Singapore-based agency is expected to prepare a master plan for Amaravati’s road network by December. Another road parallel to the existing route is being planned to provide direct connectivity between Amaravati and Guntur. The proposed link would add an alternative route between the capital region and the neighbouring city, although the report does not provide details on its alignment, cost or construction schedule.
The immediate milestones identified by the minister are the continuation of construction after the rains, the completion of further land pooling for the International Sports City, the planned inaugurations after November 11 and the road-network master plan expected by December.
