No water worries for Andhra Pradesh capital if Krishna-Godavari linked at Polavaram.

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s proposal of a Krishna-Godavari linkage through Polavaram right canal at Prakasam barrage will be useful not only to the Krishna delta but also for the new capital city.

Irrigation officials are of the opinion that the completion of the right canal is the only immediate solution for intra-state water disputes between Andhra and Telangana.

According to officials, the project is already on the cards and it could be initiated without completion of the expensive Polavaram project.

Several states have raised objections over Polavaram project and according to estimates, nearly Rs 15,000 crore in funds and four years time is needed for completion of the project.

According to new plans, the Polavaram right canal will be completed within a year.

The canal would be connected to Krishna River at Prakasam barrage. Under this process, linkage of Krishna and Godavari Rivers will be possible without completing the Polavaram project.

Already the CM has announced the plan at Telugu Desam state party’s extended meet.

According to preliminary estimations nearly 8,000 cusecs of water could be had from Godavari River every day.

Moreover, the same quantity of water could be released for Krishna delta canals. Meanwhile, the water reserves could be preserved at Pulichintala project.

Krishna district irrigation department superintendent engineer K. Srinivasa Rao said that water is available all 365 days in a year in Godavari River.

AP Capital Region Development Authority Bill Introduced.

The Andhra Pradesh government today introduced the AP Capital Region Development Authority Bill, 2014, in the state Legislative Assembly.

"Consequent to the bifurcation of the state, there is an absolute need to establish a new capital for Andhra Pradesh and develop the capital region in a planned manner to ensure comprehensive development of the area.

"It is decided to establish the AP Capital Region Development Authority for the capital region by undertaking a specific legislation for giving statutory back-up," Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P Narayana said while introducing the Bill.

The state Chief Minister would be Chairman of the Authority while the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister would be the vice-chairman.

Eight bureaucrats, including the state Chief Secretary would be members of the Authority while four national and international experts, who possess knowledge in urban governance, planning, conservation, environment and transportation would be appointed by the government as members.

The government has proposed creation of Capital Region Development Fund with a seed capital of Rs 1000 crore for providing working capital to the Authority and administering the Act.

The legislation also provided for creation of a Rs 250 crore revolving fund for undertaking development of amenities and infrastructure facilities in the capital area.

The legislation seeks to declare the Capital Area for the state of Andhra Pradesh, ensure planning, coordination, execution, financing, promoting and securing planned development of the capital region, provide, manage and supervise urban services in the new capital area and improve quality of life of citizens residing in it, the minister said, explaining the salient features of the legislation.

A perspective plan for 100 years, a concept master plan for 20 years and a detailed master plan for 10 years would be prepared for the capital region.

Some offices to function from Vijayawada from April.

Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday declared that some State government offices would start functioning from Vijayawada from April next. He was addressing the TD Legislature Party meeting in the Assembly here.

According to party sources, Mr. Naidu said if necessary the offices would function from temporary sheds even while he sought to remind the legislators that Hyderabad would continue to be the common capital for 10 years.

Mr. Naidu said from January 3, 2015 he would interact with party MLAs every Saturday at Lake View Guest House and also wanted all the Ministers to attend these meetings. Revenues up

Pointing to the huge increase made by the government in pension amounts, he told them to ensure that the message reached the people. He also mentioned how the revenues had increased due to the new sand mining policy and global auctioning of red sanders logs seized from smugglers.

He declared that the government would give gift packs of essential commodities to people on festivals like Christmas and this move would cost Rs. 300 crore to the exchequer.

On farmers’ suicides, he refuted reports that 23 people had ended their lives and maintained that there were only six such cases.

When some MLAs said that migrants were not getting pensions as they were not having Aadhaar cards, Mr. Naidu said already 90 per cent of the people had Aadhaar numbers and they too should also enrol themselves.

Andhra Pradesh cabinet clears draft bill to create capital.

The Andhra Pradesh cabinet tonight cleared the draft bill for the creation of a Capital Region Development Authority for the state's new capital area near Vijayawada.

The AP Chief Minister is set to be Chairman of the CRDA, which would replace the existing Vijayawada-Guntur- Tenali-Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority.

The CRDA Bill is scheduled to be introduced in the AP State Legislature on December 19 for approval. 

AP CRDA Draft bill details and scheme area.

The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (AP CRDA) Bill-2014 seeks to introduce a licensing system under which any 'developer entity' that desires to undertake its land pooling scheme in the capital region will have to obtain a licence from the authority.

Though the state government has not stated any criteria pertaining to granting these licences in the draft Bill, such a provision presupposes the scope for entry of multiple private players to deal with farmer lands in the capital region.

The government has already identified 30,000 acres of land in Tullur mandal of Guntur district for acquisition through the land pooling system in the first phase for the development of the new capital city.

The concept of permitting land pooling to a developer entity was used in the past by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which had categorised any individual farmer or a group of farmers or a developer as the developer entity.

Scheme area
According to the draft Bill, the authority would earmark 10 per cent of the total scheme area for parks, play grounds, gardens and open area, 30 per cent of the scheme area for roads and other utility services, 5 per cent for social amenities such as schools, dispensaries and other community facilities and 5 per cent for affordable housing meant for economically weaker sections.

Once the Bill becomes Act, the government would create the capital region development authority under the chairmanship of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu with municipal and finance ministers and secretaries of various departments as members. A separate executive committee will handle day-to-day functions of the authority while the commissioner will act as chief executive officer, according to the draft Bill.

A separate integrated transport authority for the capital region, a separate board of appeal on any decision of the planning officer and a separate capital city development fund are among the other important features.

The Bill also provides for a three-year imprisonment or levy of up to 20 per cent of the registration value of the land as 

NIT shifts from Tadepalligudem to Agiripalli!

Chief Minister CBN has decided to shift prestigious Central Institute National Institute of Technology (NIT) moved from Tadepalligudem. Technical committee that visited recently in Tadepalligudem was not willing to establish NIT in the region. Earlier, team from Delhi satisfied in procuring the land but raised many doubts. Forest lands and availability of airport facilities near TP Gudem brought confidence that NIT should be establishing in West Godavari. 
The reason that Technical committee raised after that the available land is in rectangular shape that raised many questions on construction of the Institute. Reportedly, Maganti Babu has received the information from Technical committee on this. Chandra Babu Naidu gave indication during the review meeting on Educational institutions yesterday that NIT might shifted to Agiripalli in Krishna district. There are huge forest lands in and around the Agiripalli. As per the technical committee requests, Agiripalli is nearer to Chennai-Kolkatta High way, Nuzivid Railway station and Gannavaram Airport also nearer to Agiripalli. Earlier, there was a proposal to construct new airport in the lands of Agiripalli but the proposal withdrawn.

AP govt to support farmers giving land for new capital.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday assured to protect the interests of the farmers who are willing to relinquish their land for the new state capital.

"The government would protect the interests of the farmers who are willing to hand over their lands under land pooling scheme. They will be the first to enjoy the benefits of the new state capital," Naidu said here while addressing a group of farmers from Tulluru and Mangalagiri tehsils in Guntur district, who came to greet him.

Farmers from Tulluru and its surrounding villages are willing to part with their agricultural lands for the construction of the new state capital.

"The new capital would provide good employment opportunities for the locals...It is an opportunity for them for their socio-economic growth," the Chief Minister said.

Andhra’s new capital: Cash counting machines to cars, lifestyle takes big leap in Guntur.

Swanky cars on the narrow, dusty bylanes, the lingering fragrance of high-end perfume in the air and the rush of the flashy and the flamboyant all day – Tullur, the nondescript village in Guntur district, is relishing its brush with riches.

The cow dung pasted walls are still there as are the overflowing drains, but these would soon be past. The Andhra government’s decision to locate its new capital around this village, also a mandal headquarters, has brought a sudden change in the economy of the area, and a corresponding shift in lifestyle.

The rich and the influential have started descending on Tullur and villages around it, offering wads of currency to the locals in exchange for huge tracts of land. An acre in Tullur and surrounding villages like Pedaparimi that used to cost around Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh depending on whether it's dry land or wet land is now costing a bomb. The moment Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu came up with map of the State Capital Region, the prices skyrocketed. The base price soared by 10 times from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 50 lakh an acre and the highest price offered to a piece of land was Rs 1.60 crore an acre at Rayapudi on the banks of the Krishna.

And it is not only land owners who are making a killing. Everyone, from rural medical practitioners, to auto-rickshaw drivers, to daily wage-earners who used to go to Guntur every day to eke out a living, has turned a real estate broker, negotiating deals with land sharks on behalf of the farmers. An auto-rickshaw driver made Rs 5 lakh in just one transaction on a single day. Real estate businessmen and brokers are having a field day.

The most interesting part is that about five currency counting machines were brought to the village and the lenders are charging Rs 1,000 for counting cash of Rs 1 crore. Due to the huge difference between the registration value and the actual price of the land, most transactions take place in cash.

Singapore team undertakes aerial survey for AP capital region.

The visiting Singapore team which made an aerial survey of Krishna and Guntur districts will submit a temporary design plan by evening, said Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P. Narayana.

Mr Narayana who met the team in the forenoon, told media persons that the team was collecting various details about the capital region including that of cyclones, earthquakes and cultivation of crops.

The Singapore team has been talking to officials of various departments here.

Apart from collectors of Krishna and Guntur districts, they were also seeking details related to capital region from officers of various departments in the region, he said.

Singapore doing this for 'Free Of Cost'.

The delegates of Singapore, who are on a visit to AP, has apparently asked for the 500 years background of the AP Capital region for the better understanding of geographical, climatic conditions besides its rich culture and heritage. Singapore which categorically agreed to be the brain behind new capital of AP is doing it for "free of cost", corroborated AP Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana.

Narayana said, "Singapore has agreed to provide master plan for the new capital of AP. They're not charging single penny for their services and doing it for free of cost. They said they're doing this for their relationship with CM Chandrababu Naidu." He said that Singapore officials also shown interest to train AP government authorities. "We're going to select 33 officials from AP to send them to Singapore for the special training. The training will be held from Jan 19 to Jan 23," added Mr Narayana.

Earlier in the day, the Singapore team has met various departments heads of AP. Later in the day, it has visited the city of Hyderabad from 2 PM to 5 PM. The blue-print of Singapore team's proposal for the new capital will be out within 6 weeks.

Thullur Mandal Villages List.

1

Abbarajupalem

Thullur

2

Ainavolu

Thullur

3

Ananthavaram

Thullur

4

Borupalem

Thullur

5

Dondapadu

Thullur

6

Harischandrapuram

Thullur

7

Lingayapalem

Thullur

8

Malkapuram

Thullur

9

Mandadam

Thullur

10

Nekkallu

Thullur

11

Nelapadu

Thullur

12

Pedaparimi

Thullur

13

Pitchikalapalem

Thullur

14

Rayapudi

Thullur

15

Sakhamur

Thullur

16

Thullur

Thullur

17

Uddandarayunipalem

Thullur

18

Vaddamanu

Thullur

19

Velagapudi

Thullur

20

Venkatapalem

Thullur

Capital Region Plan for the approximately 7,325 sq km area.

Singapore will collaborate with AP in drawing up a Capital Region Plan for the approximately 7,325 sq km area within the Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalgiri boundary.

A high-level committee, comprising three officials from AP government and three from Singapore would be set up in a day or two to oversee the master plan preparation process on a daily basis, Narayana said.

6-member Panel to Monitor AP Capital

A day after the governments of Singapore and Andhra Pradesh signed an MoU for designing a master plan for building the state’s new capital near Vijayawada, Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana announced that a six-member working committee consisting of three members from AP Government and three from Singapore would be constituted to monitor the progress of the master plan.

A 14-member Singapore designing team had a three-and-a-half-hour discussion with senior officials of different departments regarding the master plan for the new capital on Tuesday at the Secretariat. The team was supposed to conduct an aerial survey of the capital region --Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali and Mangalagiri -- but it was cancelled as the aircraft developed a technical snag. Later, speaking to reporters at the Secretariat here, Narayana said the six-member working committee would monitor the progress on a day-to-day basis.

AP capital: Singapore co to submit ‘total vision’ report.

The International Enterprise Singapore, which has signed an MoU with Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh for designing the master plan of state’s new capital around Vijayawada, will submit its “total vision” report within six weeks.

A 14-member team of officials from Singapore would conduct an aerial survey of the proposed capital region and hold interaction with officials of various departments over the next two days, Municipal Administration P Narayana told reporters here after a meeting of the Capital Advisory Committee with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday. He said that “total design” of the proposed capital region will be ready in six months.

Andhra Pradesh and Singapore governments signed an MoU last night in the presence of Naidu and Singapore’s second minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran, to cooperate in the master-planning, development and construction of the new capital as a modern, vibrant, sustainable and smart capital city.

Agriculture University will be soon in Guntur.(Regional Agricultural Research Station at Lam).

Another 528.88 acre of government land is now under the possession of Regional Agricultural Research Station at Lam village in Tadikonda mandal on the Guntur-Amaravathi Road, which is under consideration for setting up an agricultural university.

Developers selling plots on unapproved layout:

Stating that some people were selling plots in layouts that lacked approval, VGTM-UDA officials on Wednesday cautioned buyers not to invest in plots in illegal layouts. UDA vice-chairperson P. Usha Kumari said that only 319 layouts had received approval from the UDA.

 

“Permission for layouts planned in places brought under the UDA’s jurisdiction must also be taken before the plots are sold,” she said, asking buyers to verify the layout approval number and plan with the UDA officials before finalising the purchase.  

Guntur beats Hyderabad in skyrocketing land price

GUNTUR: Land prices in Brodipeta and Arundalpeta areas of Guntur city now range between Rs 1.05 lakh to Rs 2 lakh per square yard in the two regions, beating even those at prime localities in the metropolis of Hyderabad.

 

Following the announcement of the capital, a similar pricing situation prevails in Nuzvid and in and around Vijayawada. All kinds of shops and star hotels are situated in these two regions. Offices of Telugu Desam and YSR Congress are also in Arundalpeta, while several multiplexes and movie theatres are in Brodipeta.

 

A developer, K. Kishore said that there is no vacant land in the two regions. Guntur is topping the land rate chart because people assume that there will be no land available on the riverbank as the capital will be a riverfront capital. Hence, everyone is eyeing Guntur land. 

 

The Guntur district administration has reported availability of 21,595 acres of lands in Amaravathi, Guntur, Tadepalli, Tadikonda, Tulluru, Vatticherukuru, Yadlapadu, Prattipadu, Phirangipuram, Sattenapalli, Medikonduru, Mangalagiri and Pedakakani mandals.

 

D. Govindu, manager of S.R. Constructions, however said that this  Guntur will continue to be a favourite among people as it is the nearest to the new capital.

Land Prices in V’wada, Guntur Double in One Week

Amidst reports that the chief minister’s camp office will be located on the premises of Acharya Nagarjuna University between Vijayawada and Guntur, and that there is a possibility of a place for capital city for the residuary Andhra Pradesh being chosen near Vijayawada, the land prices have shot up in and around Vijayawada and Guntur cities in the last week.

AP chief minister-designate Chandrababu Naidu’s reported step to set up the camp office at ANU has given so much impetus to the real estate sector that just in the last one week itself prices have doubled up. While the prices are skyrocketing, strangely transactions are not taking place as developers and builders are trying to stop sales expecting further rise in the prices.

As it is expected that the Vijayawada-Guntur belt will witness growth due to its central location besides being a front runner for setting up capital city, land prices have been skyrocketing steadily over the past one year. Considering the area’s potential, the government set up  VGTM Urban Development Authority for a planned development of Vijayawada, Guntur, Mangalagiri and Tenali. With Chandrababu Naidu announcing his intention to shift base to Seemandhra as soon as possible, speculation is rife that even Eluru and Nuzvid will be included in the UDA limits.

Though an official announcement about the location of the chief minister’s camp office has not been made yet, remodelling and sprucing up work is going on at a fast pace at ANU, APSP Battalion at Mangalagiri and other government buildings and guest houses in Vijayawada and Guntur. With this sudden spurt of activity, real estate developers and builders are having a field day.

AIMS will be set-up at Mangalagiri.

The proposed All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be set-up at Mangalagiri in Guntur district, said AP health minister Kamineni Srinivas. He said that state government has identified 193 acres of government land in this area that is enough for project approval.

“Union health ministry has approved the proposal for setting-up AIIMS at Mangalagiri. We will send a detailed project report (DPR) to Centre very soon. Once, it is approved we will kick-start the construction works of this prestigious project,” said the minister.

Union ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Nirmala Sitaraman, Ashok Gajapati Raju and several others like Kambampati Ram Mohan rao are there in  New Delhi lobbying for the state. So, they may ensure health ministry approves the DPR without any delay. Earlier, Union Minister for Commerce Nirmala Sitaraman, during her visit to Vijayawada, told the people that Centre may start releasing funds to the state for various projects from October 15th. If her words are to be believed, construction works of this prestigious project may start very shortly.

Land sold, farmers clear debts, send kids abroad.

 

Farmers  in the capital region, who have sold their lands, are spending the money primarily for domestic purposes. 

 

For most farmers, the first  priority is to  clear their debts, second is the education of their children. Renovating their home  figures prominently with a few planning to build modern homes. Buying  new vehicles,  gold ornaments and latest household appliances are also on the wish list. 

 

K. Nageswara Rao of  Inavolu sold half an acre of  land for Rs 37 lakh and  cleared his debt of Rs 3.75 lakh. He also set aside Rs 8 lakh for the education of his two children and Rs 3 lakh for renovating his house. He has Rs 22 lakh in hand with which he hopes to buy  two acres of land.

 

I. Sambasiva Rao of Tullur sold  one acre of his five-acre property for Rs 85 lakh. He spent some money to clear his debts and is making  arrangements to send his son to the US for higher studies.

 

Interestingly, buying land at lower prices figures last on the wish list of many farmers.

Incorrect land and survey records causing disputes in AP Capital.

A revenue official said since neighbouring farmers cultivate crops based on mutual agreements, boundary disputes are now arising at the time  of sale.

Land disputes up in Andhra Pradesh capital area.

The mounting demand for land in the proposed capital in Tullur mandal has led to a rise in land disputes.

 

A majority of land sales and purchases are carried out on agreements, but the increasing demand for land in villages in the capital region is leading to disputes between sellers and purchasers.

 

According to reports, the revenue and police departments have received nearly 400 complaints about land disputes from these villages.

 

A farmer from Tullur, N. Narasimham, said that he sold two acres of his farmland a month ago based on an agreement, but within 15 days, the buyer had resold his land to another person making a huge profit. He claimed that farmers are incurring huge losses due to day-to-day increasing land rates. 

 

He added that several buyers are purchasing lands only for resale and they are making huge profits within a few days. Buyers are paying only the advance to the seller farmer and later paying the rest of the amount after reselling the same land.

 

Another farmer, L. Konda Reddy, said that neighbouring farmers are becoming enemies due to land disputes during sale of farmlands. He added that proper surveying and computerisation of land records are must to avoid disputes.

 

A real estate agent, S. Venu, said that transactions on temporary agreement paper, without registration, are taking place in Tullur and adjacent new capital villages. He said that this is yielding good profits to agents, realtors and middlemen as they are purchasing and selling land without registration in a short period. 

 

He added that the continuous land price hike in the capital region is the cause of several disputes as sellers are demanding extra money against agreement rates.

Trends up for Andhra Pradesh capital land.

The disparity between the official market value and the current selling rate per acre of land in the capital region is leading to pumping in of black money.

While the market rate is Rs 4 lakh to Rs 12 lakh per acre, which is paid legally, the current rate at which each acre is sold is around Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore, resulting in around Rs 90 lakh of black money being paid by the buyers.

The official market value paid to the land owner is in the form of cheque, DD or cash as mentioned in the registered sale deed. There is no account for the rest of the money. The government proposal to give legality and 1,000 square yard land per each acre in the developed capital is seen as an opportunity to convert black money into white.

The mad rush to buy land that is sought for pooling by the government in Tullur and Mangalagiri mandals has increased abnormally in the last two weeks and particularly in the past two days after Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had announced the contours of the capital area.

Guntur district registrar K. Srinivasa Rao said “Registrations are increasing by the day. Outsiders are buying pooling lands from farmers so as to hand-over to the government to get their quota of land in the capital. Purchasers want to get benefit of 1,000 square yards. The buyers are from all over AP and Telangana, more particularly from Hyderabad. Market value from our records for the dry lands and those away from the road is Rs 4 lakh per acre in Tullur.”

Vijayawada outer ring road works to begin soon....

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will start work on the long pending outer ring road (ORR) within a fortnight. The ORR or Vijayawada bypass was mooted in 2009, to decongest heavy vehicular traffic in the city . The district administration has acquired land for the project.

The NHAI has directed the contractor, Gammon India, to begin works immediately . The works were kept in abeyance even after completion of all formalities. Sources said the works were put on hold on oral instructions from the state government as it had planned to construct a much bigger outer ring road around the proposed state capital region. But since it will take a long time, the state government finally told the NHAI to complete the Vijayawada bypass road without further delay .

The state government plans to construct the 184 km ORR from Gannavaram to Amaravati via Tenali and Guntur. It will also build a bridge across river Krishna from Amaravati to Kanchikacherla, to finally join Gannavaram via Nunna.

Master Plan for Vijayawada : Three ring roads around New AP Capital....!

AP Government’s Master Plan for the development of the capital is known to some of the political leaders in Krishna and Guntur districts. As per the buzz, Government has planned to construct three ring roads around the new capital. Inner Ring roads having length of 45 to 50 KMs and 75 to 80 KMs and length of Outer ring road is about 185 to 190 KMs. All these have to exist between Vijayawada and Guntur cities. 70 to 80% of the new capital will be existing in Guntur district and 20 to 30% in Krishna District.

But new capital would become nearer to Vijayawada City. AP Government has also plan of development of infrastructure in this regard. There is a proposal to extend the existing road to 6 lanes between Vijayawada and Hyderabad.

By this journey time should reduced to 3.5 hours to travel between Vijayawada and Hyderabad and 4.5 hours to travel between Kurnool to Vijayawada (New Capital). Seethanagaram near Prakasam Barriage to Amaravathy 6 lanes of road and Amaravathy to Guntur another 6 lanes of road will be built. Extending the roads from Hyderabad to Vijayawada via Daachepalli, Sattenapalli and Piduguralla is one option. Al least two bridges would construct on Krishna River.

AP announces land pooling policy for capital region development.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced the land pooling policy for development of the new capital.

As per the policy, for farmers who have patta lands, and whose one acre land has been taken for capital development, they will be given 1000 yards of residential and 200 yards of developed commercial land.

In the case of assigned lands, were one care land has been taken away from the farmer, he would get 800 yards of developed residential area and 100 yards of commercial land. In addition, for one acre, a farmer parts with, he would get Rs. 30,000 per year with an escalation of Rs. 3,000 per year.

Once a farmer hands over the land, he would be handed over a Land Pooling Ownership Certificate. And the developed land would be handed over within three years.

In the case of farmers who are residing in the area where capital is being developed, all the 22,405 farmers would be exempt from farm loans. Accordingly, about Rs. 200 crore would be earmarked for loan waiver of these farmers.

In case of farmers who offer their land located in different places in the capital region, they would be allotted developed land at one place if they so wish.

Singapore, AP partner for capital city master plan.

Singapore and Andhra Pradesh governments on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding wherein the former would develop a master plan for the new capital city to come up in Guntur-Vijayawada region.

After the memorandum was inked here at the State Secretariat, AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and S Iswaran, Minister in the Singapore PM’s Office and Minister for Home affairs, Trade and Industry, Singapore government, said both the governments were committed to the development of the capital region and the master plan is likely to be ready within six months.

Environmentally stable

Naidu said he was keen to develop a capital city which would be better than the best city anywhere in the world. “Our idea is to develop a capital which is environmentally sustainable. The experience and expertise of Singapore will be helpful for Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

Iswaran said, “India and Singapore have strong bilateral ties at leadership and government level, and this is expected to get better as we engage in more areas – both business to business and people to people ties.”

Singaporean team to prepare development plan for AP's capital.

A team from Singapore will reach Andhra Pradesh tomorrow to formulate a development plan for the state's capital in the Vijayawada region. 

As per information given by the AP State Department of Information and Public Relations, the Singaporean team consisting of 11 members would arrive in Hyderabadtomorrow. 

The team, which has come on the invitation of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, is scheduled to reach Vijayawada on Tuesday evening and visit the proposed capital's location in Guntur district on Wednesday. 

The team would also hold discussions with local officials and Guntur's Member of Parliament. 

Later, they would return to Hyderabad and hold final discussions with officials before leaving for Singapore.

CROP LOAN WAIVER: CROP LOAN BENEFICIARIES LIST RELEASED

The Andhra Pradesh Government on Sunday released the first list of crop loan waiver beneficiaries.

The list has been made available on the Internet and the list of the beneficiaries would be read out at the gram sabhas. Check out the list at http://apcbsportal.ap.gov.in/loanstatus.

Chandrababu had announced that the list of farmers eligible for the loan wavier scheme will be sent to the banks by 6th of this month. Despite of his promise, the list was not published till late on Saturday night.

44-Storey Secretariat Complex in AP Capital.

With the location of the new capital of Andhra Pradesh finally a settled issue, the first government of the truncated state has now set its focus on the infrastructure of the new capital. AP government is now coming up with a grand plan for its buildings, offices and the buzz is that the plan is such that the new Singaporean-capital would beat World's famous Capitol Hill of Washington.

Efforts are under way to set up the proposed Camp Office-cum-Residence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister along the banks of river Krishna towards Vijayawada, while the Secretariat, Assembly, Raj Bhavan and High Court to come up on the opposite side in Guntur district. With six-lane roads and garden spread across 20-km stretch, new capital AP is expected to be the greenest city. CM Naidu is adamant that the capital city should be ultramodern boasting skyscrapers, several huge parks and fountains. We hear that the blueprint has 44-storey Secretariat complex which is included on Naidu's insistence.

First phase of capital by 2019.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the first phase of the capital city in Guntur district would be completed by 2019. Talking to the national media on the eve of his completion of six months in office, he said residential, commercial and government offices would be ready by 2019. He said Andhra Pradesh would be among the top three States in the country by 2022 and the leading the State by 2029.

He said the Centre had promised help in building the capital and the State government would have to prepare and submit master plan. He recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also promised funding for the capital.

He said the Singapore government was preparing the master plan and Second Minister S. Iswaran would be coming here for discussions on December 8. Japan also evinced interest in extending help for capital construction.

Real estate developers oppose GO 398.

Andhra Pradesh Real Estate Developer’s Association (APREDA) on Sunday took strong exception to a portion of the GO 398 issued by the State government, mandating agricultural landowners to obtain a statement from the revenue authorities before selling it for non-agricultural purposes.

At a press conference here on Sunday, APREDA president G. Hari Babu said that farmers would have to run from pillar to post to sell a piece of their land, if they abide by the GO. Further, surveyor would have to visit the village and prepare sketch of the proposed land. Usually, it takes 2 to 4 months for surveyors to prepare the documents and a tehsildar has to clear 100 to 150 applications a day.

“If this GO is implemented, the landowners will face trouble owing to procedural complexity, delaying the deals,” he felt.

The revenue records have been computerised and made available online. The records have been prepared by revenue authorities. “The new GO will duplicate the work. Hence, the government should reconsider the issue,” he suggested.

The APREDA, however, welcomes the government decision to regulate irregular layouts through the GO, he said.

“The government is rolling out red carpet to welcome foreign investors. If a Japanese agency comes to State, the government has promised to accord all permissions in a week. Why should we wait for months?,” he asked and demanded that the authority must come up with a single window policy for real estate developers. Mr. Hari Babu said that the APREDA was planning to strengthen its activities in Andhra Pradesh. As many as 40 more realtors from the city took its membership on Sunday, he said.

APREDA Secretary General M V Narendranath Reddy, executive Vice President Ch. Ramesh Babu, Vijayawada Chapter secretary S.V. Ramana and others spoke.

Guntur to turn hospitable; Health sector hub to develop in Guntur.

The health and hospitality sector is eyeing on Guntur to expand their businesses in view of the new capital establishment in the Guntur district. 

 

The famous cardiac super-specialty hospital, Ramesh Hospitals is constructing a 10-storied hospital at Guntur and Apollo Hospitals is planning to start their hospital soon. Similarly, hospitality sector also going to start star hotels to expand their business making good use of new capital establishment and ITC Hotels is going to start its star hotel soon in Guntur. 

 

There are 61 hotels in Guntur city and only a few are star hotels that too 2/3 star hotels. The giant of hotel industries, ITC Hotels is going to start their hotel in Guntur. Besides this, AP Hoteliers Association has planned to start a catering training institute and hotel management college in Guntur or in the new capital according to land availability. 

 

APHA president M. Srinivasababu has said that APHA is going to establish its state office in the new capital in Tullur with a meeting hall and 10 rest houses. He asserted on the need of the cooperation of the government towards development of hospitality industry in the new capital and said that APHA would bring the issue to the notice of the government seeking special packages for hotel industry with subsidies. He predicted bright future to the hotel industry in the coming years as big hoteliers are interested to start hotels.

 

Health sector is planning to make good use of new capital to expand business. 

 

The famous cardiac super specialty Ramesh Hospital is going to start its hospital in a ten storied building in Guntur by the New Year. The hospital is under progress in the heart of city near famous Hindu College. 

5 things to know about Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh's new capital.

1) Located on the banks of Krishna river in Krishna district of south coastal Andhra, Vijayawada is about 300 km from Hyderabad. With a population of over a million as per 2011 census, Vijayawada is a major commercial hub. Some of the best educational institutes, be it high schools or engineering or medical colleges, are situated in the city. Looking at the number of institutes, the city is often referred to as Vidyalawada (place of education). 

 

2) Infrastructure-wise, the city is blessed with a thermal power plant and a unique railway line that connects the northern and southern parts of the country. Any capital would prefer to have unhindered supply of water. Thanks to Prakasam Barrage, that need will be fulfilled. The bridges on Krishna river, the Vijayawada-Amaravati-Mangalagiri ring roads make a further case for the to-be capital.

 

3) Mangalagiri, Amaravati, Kondapalli, Mylavaram, which abound Vijayawada have lots of available land. If the neighbouring Guntur and Tenali are added to the equation, the emerging area will be bigger than Hyderabad. Speculation is already rife that Tenali and Managalagiri will be developed along the lines of the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR).

 

4) There is an airport situated at the nearby Gannavaram. The Central Government has already assured the state that the Gannavaram airport will be developed on the lines of a big airport. 

 

5) Rumours are gaining ground that cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has invested money to buy 100 acres of land in Mangalagiri. The rumors were fueled by his presence  in Vijayawada on August 1 to launch the PVP Mall, which will have 4.27 lakh sq feet of space, and Rs 125 crore has been spent on it. Tendulkar has already tied up with the PVP group for the Kochi football team in the newly formed Indian Super League

Andhra's rich chase Vijayawada Realestate.

The Andhra Pradesh government's decision to makeVijayawada its capital has reinvigorated vested interests to acquire private landholdings in the precincts of the envisioned “grand capital”.

Riding on chief minister  N Chandrababu Naidu’s plan, individuals with deep pockets are closing in on huge land deals in the 100-km radius of Vijayawada, covering Krishna and Guntur districts.

Primarily a rich agrarian belt, Krishna and Guntur districts do not have contiguous tracts of private land, a disadvantage considered by realty players. According to a government estimate, though there is an available 120,000 acres under government control in these two districts, it’s not entirely contiguous.

Yet, by the close of 2013 as clear signals emerged onbifurcation of AP, top brass from film industry to business and NRIs having Andhra roots started looking at reaping the first mover advantage by possessing lands here.