Amaravati

Etymology

Amaravati in Sanskrit and Telugu language translates as the Abode of immortals.

History

As per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (2014), Hyderabad became the capital of the then newly formed state of Telangana, post bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. However, Hyderabad would remain as the joint capital of both states for a period of time not exceeding ten years. Hence, Amaravati is thus being built to serve as the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Foundation

The foundation for the city was laid at Uddandarayunipalem on 22 October 2015. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi; the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu; the Chief Minister of Telangana, Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao; the Japanese minister for economy trade and industry, Yosuke Takagi; and the Singaporean Minister for Trade and Industry, S. Iswaran laid the foundation for the city.

De facto state capital

As of October 2016, the majority of departments and officials of the Andhra Pradesh State Government are now functioning from interim facilities located in the Velagapudi area of Amaravati, with only a skeleton staff remaining behind in Hyderabad. The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu began working from Velagapudi in April 2016. The Andhra Pradesh Legislature currently remains in Hyderbad but plans are in place for it to relocate to Velagapudi in 2017 following completion of interim legislative buildings.

Geography

The city is being built in Guntur district, on the banks of the Krishna River. The city will be 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south-west of Vijayawada and 24 kilometres (15 mi) north of Guntur.

Administration

Amaravati is an Urban Notified Area and its urban planning activities are undertaken by the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority. The Andhra Pradesh Secretariat at Velagapudi is the administrative block for the employees of the state government.

Jurisdiction and planning

The capital city is spread over an area of 217.23 km² (83.87 sq mi) and will comprise villages (including some hamlets) from three mandals viz., Mangalagiri, Thullur and Tadepalle. The construction of the new city would cost about $4 billion, with the central government contributing significantly. The current proposed site covers 30 villages spreading over 35,000 acres (14,000 ha).

The table below lists the denotified villages and hamlets under their respective mandals, which became a part of the capital city.

Note:

Agriculture

Agriculture, commercial trade, Textile, etc. are the major sectors that contribute to the economy of the capital region. The capital area which forms part of Guntur district economy, which has an agricultural component that is internationally known for its exports of chillies, cotton, and tobacco. Mangalagiri Sarees and Fabrics produced in Mangalagiri area were registered as one of the geographical indication from Andhra Pradesh.

IT/ITES

Amaravati is on its way to emerge as IT hub. In its first move, Eight IT companies which include Edbricks, Adept Talent, Vintech, PayTM, Advance Soft, Accel IT, Jolt, Damian Consulting and MSR Cosmoswere were set up at the Indwell IT Park.

According to the communication from AP CMO, multinational IT firm HCL Technologies to open Development Centre with an investment of Rs 500 crore in Amaravati.

Education

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT-AP) is the first university to set up its campus in Amaravati. Construction work has already begun in 200 acres of land allocated by the government of Andhra Pradesh

SRM University, Amrita University, Amity and Indo-UK Institute of Health (IUIH) in collaboration with the King’s College, London, have already been provided land and they were  in process of grounding their respective projects.

Road

Amaravati seed capital road is proposed road to access the capital city from the junction of National Highway 16 near Tadepalle to the seed capital area. The Vijayawada-Amaravati and Guntur-Thullur roads connect the city with Vijayawada and Guntur respectively. APSRTC operates buses on this route from Pandit Nehru bus station of Vijayawada. and from NTR bus station of Guntur. Two new depots, North and South of APSRTC are proposed to be constructed in the city.

Rail

A proposed Amaravati highspeed circular railway line has been under development phase. It would connect the city with the nearby cities of Vijayawada, Guntur and Tenali, extending up to a length of 105 km (65 mi) with an estimated cost of ₹100 billion (US$1.5 billion).

Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation

Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. is an SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) incorporated on 29-10-2015 under the Companies Act, 2013 for implementation of Vijayawada Metro Rail project. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) was Prepared by M/s Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC),the Consultants. The Metro Rail Project is planned to run across two corridors with a total length of 26.03 km with 24 stations including one interchange station. The total completion cost is expected to be around Rs. 6769 Crores, with construction period of 3–4 years.

Air

Gannavaram airport is at 30 minutes drive from the city center. Post Expansion work, it will be upgraded to an international airport. There is a proposal to rename Gannavaram airport to 'NTR Amaravati International Airport'