Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday announced that the new capital of the residuary State will be near Vijayawada.
Making the announcement in the State Legislative Assembly in Hyderabad, the Chief Minister said that a Cabinet Sub-Committee was being constituted for land pooling.
Unlike in Hyderabad, where all the government offices are located in the same city, the AP government will decentralise the power centres. The State will have 3 Mega Cities and 14 Smart Cities, Naidu said.
The announcement was made at 11:11am, the time suggested by astrologers as most auspicious.
Naidu made the announcement amid strong protests by the Opposition's YSR Congress Party, which demanded a debate on the new capital.
Interestingly, the Chief Minister also ignored the fact that the Centre was yet to take a final call on the report submitted by the Sivaramakrishnan Committee on options for the new capital.
The Chief Minister informed that the decision on the new capital was taken during the cabinet meeting held on September 1.
In his 20-page statement, Naidu disclosed the details of the government's plan for the new capital and its vision to develop Andhra Pradesh.
He said that the decision to establish the new capital at Vijayawada was taken in the public interest. He said that equal importance would be given to each of the 13 districts in the State.
Naidu said that the Vijayawada and Tirupati airports would be developed as international airports. He also said that Srikakulam would be developed as a Smart City, and that an airport would also be constructed. Kakinada will be developed as a PCIC Corridor, and a Greenfield airport will be constructed in Vijayanagaram.
He also gave details of what the government planned for each of the 13 districts in Andhra Pradesh. (INN)
filed in:Chandrababu Naidu, Andhra Pradesh New Capital, Vijayawada