Andhra capital gets a rectangular shape

The rectangular-shaped proposed capital city area announced by AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will be connecting both Vijayawada city and Mangaligiri town. The boundaries for the capital have been defined. The government drew the boundaries, so as to allay rumours that lands of bigwigs are being exempted from land pooling. In another significant move, the government has announced that no buildings or structures will be pulled down and only vacant lands will be used for building the Andhra capital on two sides of the River Krishna. Borapalem in Tulluru mandal is one of the boundaries which ends at Prakasam Barrage.

It is an 18 kilometre stretch. The other half of the rectangle starts at Prakasam Barrage and extends up to Y junction in Mangalagiri. This junction is where the Old Madras Trunk Road meets NH9. It is around 10 kilometres long.

After the Andhra cabinet subcommittee meeting, it was decided that farmers would get Rs 1.5 lakh under the loan waiver scheme and they would get exemption from income tax as the government was confident that the Centre would grant it. A single policy would be applicable to all. Naidu said that acquisition would not benefit the farmers and hence land pooling was adopted. In 23 villages, around 40,000 farmers would benefit in the first phase and in the first move, Nellapadu village has come forward with consent letters.

Opposition critical on ‘bait’ for farmers

YSRC has alleged that TD party members have bought land on the periphery of the capital boundary, so that it can amass wealth as soon as the capital is ready and that they need not give the land under pooling. It further said that the bait to give Rs 1.5 lakh as a lump sum under the loan waiver scheme has lured many of the farmers.

Congress claims that farmers are in tears, as they have to give up their fertile lands and warned that Tulluru would become another Singur.