The decision of the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh headed by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu to acquire another 16,666 acres from farmers of Amaravati in the name of expansion of capital city has drawn criticism from not only the opposition parties, but also independent urban development experts and senior journalists.
What has drawn more criticism from the analysts was Naidu’s virtual blackmailing of farmers that if they don’t give additional land for the capital expansion, Amaravati would remain a municipality, instead of a world-class capital city.
“If Naidu really has a long-term vision, why didn’t Naidu plan for more land pooling in the initial stages itself, instead of blackmailing the farmers for additional land now?” an analyst asked.
He recalled that while acquiring 34,000 acres of land from the Amaravati farmers under land pooling system in 2015, Naidu declared that he would build a world-class capital city in the region.
“Naidu even roped in Singapore consortium to prepare the masterplan for this land and projected graphic images of the so-called global capital that can be compared to Singapore, Manhattan and Dallas,” the analyst pointed out.
Now, the same area of 34,000 acres is projected as a “municipality.”
“How can a world-class capital in 34,000 acres has become a municipality? If that is the case, there is no surprise if Naidu goes in for additional land acquisition for further expansion after five years,” the analyst said.
Opposition parties are describing it as a massive real-estate driven operation has been unfolding for years, while the promised development on the 54,000 acres already taken from farmers and government lands is yet to materialize.
According to the opposition, Naidu has made indiscriminate land allotments to various business establishments, institutions and other big projects at cheaper rate and the APCRDA is left with only 700 acres.
“Threatening farmers by claiming that Amaravathi cannot become a global city without the second phase is both unethical and misleading, especially when the first-phase lands have not been developed at all,” alleged Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y S Sharmila.
According to her, the government’s claim that 5000 acres are needed for a new greenfield airport is unfounded, given that Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport occupies only 1850 acres, Bhogapuram 2200 acres, and Gannavaram just 1250 acres.
She said that expanding the existing airport is a more rational and economic option.
She alleged that the push for large-scale land acquisition appears to benefit corporate interests such as Adani and Ambani, rather than serving the needs of the state or honouring the trust of Amaravathi’s farmers.
