The proverb “the add-on is more than the original” fits this situation perfectly. The decisions being taken by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu—especially his approach towards the capital Amaravati—are not being clearly understood even by leaders within his own party. Another key point here is that although the works related to the Andhra Pradesh capital have picked up some pace now, many say that this speed is in no way sufficient for it to take proper shape within the next three years. On the other hand, reports are coming in that the Centre is moving towards introducing a Bill in Parliament during the current budget session itself to provide legal sanctity to the capital. All these are positive factors for the capital. However, news continues to surface on a daily basis that many issues of the farmers who gave their lands for the capital Amaravati are yet to be resolved.
At this juncture, the Andhra Pradesh government has stepped in to get a master plan prepared for the CRDA Amaravati expansion project. For this purpose, it recently issued a notification inviting consultants. What is strange here is that the first-phase master plan of the Andhra Pradesh capital covers an area of 217 square kilometres. In terms of acres, this amounts to 53,621 acres. Now, interestingly, a master plan is being prepared for Amaravati expansion covering as much as 709.6 square kilometres. While the first phase master plan was prepared for just 217 square kilometres, announcing a master plan of as much as 709 square kilometres for expansion has become a major topic of discussion. This will cover a total of 50 villages and about 1.75 lakh acres.
The government says that in the second phase of Amaravati, along with a greenfield international airport, facilities such as a sports city and green industries will be developed. At present, even though more than 16,000 acres of land is being taken under the second-phase land pooling, officials say the possibility of the government undertaking further land pooling for the second phase in the coming days cannot be ruled out. In fact, the government initially leaked that the second-phase land pooling would be close to 44,000 acres. After facing widespread criticism over this, the total was temporarily reduced. Later, there is no guarantee that the government may not implement its plan in the manner it intends.
While the first-phase master plan for the capital Amaravati was initially prepared within an area of 217 square kilometres, even officials are expressing surprise over calling for tenders now to prepare a master plan covering as much as 709 square kilometres for the expansion project. In fact, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had repeatedly announced earlier that he would build a world-class capital based on what was originally proposed in the first phase itself. After bringing the second phase onto the table, over the past some time a new line has been taken that as per the original plan Amaravati would remain only a municipality, and that capital expansion is unavoidable. Officials say that only after the second-phase Amaravati master plan comes out will it be possible to understand how the government is thinking and how much more land it has its eye on.