Andhra Pradesh mulls pooling 30,000 more acres for Amaravati; no decision yet: Minister

The Andhra Pradesh government is considering acquiring an additional 30,000 acres of land through the land pooling model around Amaravati to develop a 'mega city' with its own international airport, Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana said on Tuesday. However, he clarified that no decision has been taken yet, though Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is keen on developing a mega city by integrating the adjoining areas of Mangalagiri, Tadepalli, Guntur, and Vijayawada.

"No decision has been taken on additional land pooling in Amaravati. However, CM Chandrababu has decided to build an international airport over 5,000 acres. Land is required for this," Narayana said in an official press release.

The Minister noted that the government needs land for constructing the airport.


However, local MLAs informed him that if land is acquired through the 'acquisition' mode, farmers will stand to lose.

An international airport is being planned to cater to the mega city, he added.

If land is acquired, farmers will receive only two-and-a-half times the registration value, unlike the benefits that accrue through land pooling, Narayana asserted.

According to the Minister, farmers themselves are in favour of land pooling.

After allotting returnable plots to farmers from the pooled land for the airport, he said several thousand more acres would be needed for roads, drainage systems, and other infrastructure.

After accounting for all these requirements, the government would be left with only about 5,000 acres, he noted.

"No decision has yet been made on whether the land for the airport will be acquired or pooled," he reiterated.

Meanwhile, Narayana said reconstruction work in Amaravati has begun, with tenders finalised for 68 projects worth Rs 42,360 crore.

To meet Amaravati's construction needs, the Mining Department has allocated 851 acres to the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) for sourcing gravel.

The government is moving forward with a definite timeline for completing the construction in Amaravati, which includes finishing officials' residences within one year, trunk roads in one-and-a-half years, layout roads in two-and-a-half years, and iconic buildings in three years, he said.