Andhra CM lays foundation stone of new capital Amaravati today

[Darmashkian]

Vijayawada: Amid chanting of Vedic hymns, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday performed 'bhoomi puja' or ground breaking ceremony of the new state capital Amaravati.

As the clock struck 8:49 AM, Naidu accompanied by his wife Bhuvaneswari and son N Lokesh performed the rituals at a colourful ceremony in Mandadam village in Guntur district.

Chandrababu Naidu accompanied by his wife and son performed the rituals at a colourful ceremony in Mandadam village in Guntur district.
[HASHTAG]#amaravati[/HASHTAG] [HASHTAG]#Andhra[/HASHTAG] Pradesh [HASHTAG]#Chandrababu[/HASHTAG] Naidu [HASHTAG]#Foundation[/HASHTAG] stone
Central and state ministers, MPs, state legislators, senior officials and leaders of the Telugu Desam Party participated in prayers and other rituals which continued for two hours.

A group of priests had started the prayers, including a 'havan', much earlier as per Vaishnavite tradition at 3 AM in the village, located on the banks of Krishna River.

Naidu, his family members and ministers poured cement into a pit to mark the ceremony. A basin made with a kilogram of silver and gold coated shovel were among the masonry implements used on the occasion.

The Chief Minister later ploughed the field with a traditional ploughshare while his wife sowed 'navaratnalu' (nine chief grains) in the soil.

Also present were Naidu's brother-in-law and popular actor N Balakrishna.

However, the inauguration of the chief minister's camp office at Vijayawada was postponed as he missed the 'mahurat' or auspicious time of 10:30 AM set by astrologers. [ -_- ]

Naidu could not reach Vijayawada on time due to 'bhoomi puja' rituals.

Addressing a public meeting after the ground breaking ceremony, the TDP chief said the day would go down in the history of Andhra Pradesh as a red-letter day.

He said it was good fortune of five crore Telugus that they have got an opportunity to build a 21st century capital.

Naidu said it would not be a mere administrative capital but a city which will transform people's live. "It will be a dynamic city, an economic capital which will give jobs to people and a tourism centre."

Naidu said he choose this region for the capital as it was centrally located and accessible from all parts of the state.

Singapore has developed the master plan for Amaravati. The chief minister said leaders of Singapore told him that Andhra capital would be better than even Singapore. ["Jumla"]

Naidu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be invited to lay the foundation stone for the capital on Dussehra.

He thanked farmers for giving their land under the land pooling system for building the capital and assured them that the government will protect their interests.

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Central government would extend all possible help in developing the capital city. She said nobody should have any doubts on this.

Andhra CM lays foundation stone of new capital Amaravati today - IBNLive

 

[Darmashkian]

Check Nirmala Sitharama's timeline for some pictures on the entire ceremony:-
Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) | Twitter

Singapore presents master plan for Amaravati | Business Line

HYDERABAD, MAY 25:
The Singapore Government today presented a master plan for the proposed capital city of Amaravati, which will guide its development up to 2050.

S. Iswaran, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore, and his team handed over of the master plan to State Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Addressing a press conference, Iswaran, said, “Singapore has worked closely with the Andhra Pradesh government to complete the master plan on schedule. Amaravati will truly be a People’s Capital.”

He said various Singapore companies would be keen to work with the State partnering right from being a master developer. However, with the State deciding to select a partner in a competitive, transparent process, we look forward to working with the State. Later in July, Seed Capital report will be presented.

The Chief Minister said that the capital city is being built on the land pooled. Of the 33,000 acres planned to be pooled, over 17,000 acres has been pooled and the remaining is under the process. The Government would ensure that the land owner would get his rightful due for having parted with the land.

The Master Plan marks the second milestone in the three-stage plan between International Enterprise Singapore and the Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh. In the first stage, the Capital Region Plan was completed and handed over on March 30, 2015.

As per the plan, the capital city will come up on the banks of Krishna, between Vijayawada and Guntur.

Pang Yee Ean, CEO of Surbana International, said the new city would feature a growing a vibrant economy, seeks to create a liveable Indian city by enhancing connectivity and active mobility, while ensuring sustainability.

Apart from serving as a seat of power, the Plan aims to transform Amaravati as a commercial hub for existing regional industries. It would have solid public transport network, including a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to be upgraded to Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, metro rails and water-based transport network are on the anvil.

Beside the Krishna river, the master plan preserves much of the existing greenery and waterways, while introducing new parks, gardens and recreational facilities including a cricket stadium. Amaravati will possess a distinctive river front with lush open spaces for its citizens to enjoy.

While the capital would be spread over 7,420 sq.km, the central planning area will be located in 854 sq.km and capital city in 217 sq.km.

The Singapore Cooperation Enterprise and the Swachh Andhra Corporation also signed an agreement to develop a framework for an integrated solid waste management master plan for Andhra Pradesh.

 

[midnightmasala]

Good job. Silly telangana fellows. They chasred away the smart people