Minister Narayana Vows to Finish Amaravati Capital Project by 2026

P. Narayana, after assuming his role as Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development, announced on Sunday that the development of Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh’s capital will be completed in two and a half years. With the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) returning to power, work on Amaravati, which had halted in 2019 under the YSR Congress Party’s plan to develop three state capitals, is set to resume.

The TDP, in coalition with Jana Sena and BJP, has reiterated its commitment to developing Amaravati as the sole state capital. Narayana, speaking from the state Secretariat, stated that a review would be conducted in 15 days to establish a time-bound program for the development, following the original master plan. He estimated the cost of developing Amaravati in three phases at Rs. 1 lakh crore, with the first phase, costing Rs. 48,000 crore, already initiated by the previous TDP government.

Narayana highlighted that 90% of the residential construction for ministers, secretaries, and officials was completed before the halt. Designed as one of the top five capitals globally, Amaravati’s plan was developed with assistance from Singapore and insights from visits to Singapore, China, Japan, Russia, and Malaysia. The initial land pooling in 2015 secured 34,000 acres without litigation. Emphasizing his experience from the previous administration, Narayana noted that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had entrusted him with the portfolio again. Additionally, he announced the reopening of 100 Anna canteens within 21 days, with plans to potentially involve the Akshaya Patra Foundation in food supply, resuming the provision of meals at five rupees, a program shut down by the YSR Congress government in 2019.