Scrapping of agricultural zones, a relief to realty

Amaravati: Landowners, realtors, builders in the limits of Amaravati capital region have got major relief from the Cabinet decision to scrapping agri zones in the limits of capital region.

As many as 250 pending projects will be cleared following the decision. On the other hand, the legislators of ruling Telugu Desam representing the area have got sigh of relief from the Cabinet. The zonal system including agriculture zone designed in Amaravati master plan blocked the infra and realty activity around the capital region.

Landowners in the capital region faced several challenges to construct a small house in their own lands. Similarly housing projects came to a grinding halt.

As a result, landowners of the capital region mounted pressure on legislators. At one point of time, the legislators too expressed distress to the chief minister as they were not in position to visit the villages around Vijayawada and Amaravati.

As many as 250 ventures were came to a halt with the decision to introduce agri zones in the capital region. However, the current decision will help to boost land prices and realty sector. As per the recent CII summit, nearly Rs 5000 crore worth realty projects entered agreements with government to start their housing projects in Amaravati.

The smaller towns like Kankipadu, Gudiwada, Gannavaram, Nuzvid, Nandigama, Mangalagiri, Tenali and main two cities Guntur and Vijayawada in the capital region are prime locations for realty and construction activity. Lands in the towns have huge demand even before the announcement of state capital.

The land prices are from Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore in the respective towns and its surrounding villages. Everyone anticipated the realty activity would go sky high. But the master plan by dividing separate zones for every town and city and agriculture protection zone plans totally stopped the realty activity. Moreover, the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) also framed new guidelines based on zonal system.

As per it no construction activity was allowed 500 meters outside the villages and towns. The rules rejected nearly 250 ventures in the limits of two districts of Krishna and Guntur.

Several builders including big infra companies cancelled their prestigious venture plans near to Amaravati. The lands in the region lost demand following the developments. All the landowners applied pressure on legislators to withdraw new guidelines.

Telugu Desam party legislators Gadde Rammohan, Bode Prasad, MLC Rajendra Prasad, Vallabhaneni Vamshi Mohan, Alapati Raja, K Sridhar, Tangirala Soumya, GV Anajaneyulu, MPs K Narayana, Kesineni Srinivas opposed the rule by questioning CRDA officials directly.

Even they brought the annoyance of public to the CM’s notice but he did not take any action at the time. But the present decision of Cabinet will allow the realty operations by scrapping the previous rules.

MLC and urban TDP president Budda Venkanna said that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu always takes decisions for people interest. He said that TDP legislators demand was fulfilled the decision.

Vijayawada Builders Association Gadde Rajalingam welcomed the decision and said that it is their demand for long time. He said that several housing projects would come at various areas in the capital region and now pressure on housing scarcity would gradually go down in the Amaravati surroundings.

By Patibandla Srinivas