Five Facts about Andhra Pradesh’s New Capital City, Amaravati
The foundation stone of Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh’s new capital, was laid today by PM Narendra Modi.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati, at a village in Guntur district today. Scores of people attended the function held at Uddandarayunipalem village on the banks of river Krishna.
Here are some interesting facts on the new capital city:
1. A Role Land Model
Andhra Pradesh’s unique land pooling strategy for Amaravati is being considered a role model for India’s ‘smart cities’. Under the scheme, landowners voluntarily give-up ownership rights. Of the total required 54,000 acres, the government owns about 21,000 acres and about 31,000 acres has been bought by the N Chandrababu Naidu government through the pooling system.
In fact, the pooling mechanism could provide an alternative to the land acquisition system in India. The Andhra government has decided to compensate the farmers with Rs 50,000 per acre per year for 10 years, and also 1,250 sq yards of residential space and 200 sq yards of commercial space in Amaravati for every acre. They have also been exempted from capital gains tax and stamp duty on the first sale.
2. Historical Significance
Amaravati, a small town in Guntur district, has a 2,000-year-old rich heritage. It literally means ‘abode of the immortal’ and was the seat of power of the mighty Satavahana kings between the 2nd and 3rd century BCE.
3. Easy Accessibility
Besides the historical and cultural importance, the city is also centrally located. Comprising of 30 villages between Vijayawada and Guntur, Amaravati is easily accessible from the north and south, the coastal districts and the Rayalaseema region.
River Krishna is a great source of water for the new capital city and its residents. In fact, the government plans to revive decades-old waterways and canals linking the Amaravati with cities in the Krishna delta.
4. Proposed ‘World Class City’
Naidu has proposed to develop Amaravati as a world-class city and place it on the world map. Modelled after Singapore, Amaravati is being touted as the green and industrialised city.
The Singapore government is preparing the master plan, which will have three components — overall capital region, capital city and seed capital. As per the draft master plan, the Amaravati Capital Region will be spread across 7,325 sq km.
Naidu also launched a website where people can contribute towards the development and of Amaravati by buying bricks at Rs 10 each.
5. Tourism
Amaravati has been an important region for Buddhism. A 250-km religious tourism circuit has been proposed in the capital region.
Amravati is also famous for its temple dedicated to God Shiva and Ambadevi. The rich heritage includes Amareswara temple, Mahachaitya (the great stupa), Buddhist sculptures and slabs with Buddhist inscriptions.
There is great hope that Amaravati would retain its historical glory and grandeur while reflecting modernity.
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