Once a cynosure of all eyes, now a forlorn picture

​Amaravati: The site at Uddandaraya Palem, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid a foundation stone for the capital on Vijaya Dasami with all the pomp and glitter, looks like a dream which is yet to come true even after a year.

A visit to the place on the eve of the high-profile event completing a year on Tuesday reveals that there were no visible signs of the capital project taking wings yet. The sprawling area with lush green grass was seen drawing flocks of sheep and buffalos, grazing to their content.

And, a handful of police personnel guarding foundation site with three sheds housing yagasala, replicas of capital and water and soil collected from different holy places seemed to be mute witnesses to the plight of capital project.

The area has become a cynosure of all eyes with people from different places taking a queue to catch a glimpse of the prospective seat of power. But it all got relegated to background after sometime as the premises presented a picture of desert.

The village with 200 families, which basked in the hype that capital would be coming up in its lap, now feels betrayed following changes in the capital plans. Initially, it was proposed to build an administrative core with the Assembly, secretariat and Raj Bhavan at the place of foundation site.

However, Uddandaraya Palem and Lingayapalem have been earmarked for developing the start-up area with commercial and residential ventures even as the core capital will be shifted to Rayapudi as per the latest plans. Although the Chief Minister in his Dasara message stated that the capital project will take a concrete shape by next Dasara, the project is failing to inch beyond the state of designs.

Naidu is dreaming of building a world class capital with the involvement of topnotch construction firms. But the lack of funds casts a shadow over his dream project which is estimated to cost at least Rs 5lakh crore. The Centre claimed that it has released a meagre Rs 2,500 crore for capital construction since the bifurcation of the state.

The state government however maintains that it has received only Rs 1,500cr for the project and Rs 1000 crore under a separate head for provision of underground drainage system in Guntur and building storm water drains in Vijayawada city under urban infrastructure development programme.

The government took up construction of interim government complex with Rs 600 crore and connecting roads for the capital.

When Naidu’s wait for flow of funds from the Centre failed to materialize, his government is left with no option but to approach the World Bank for Rs 4,000 crore and Housing and Urban Development Corporation for another Rs 7,000 crore.

It is unlikely that the capital construction will take off until financial assistance from these agencies is trickled in, say the observers.