Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh has invited Singapore and Japan to partner the state and help it build Amaravati, the new capital coming up on the banks of river Krishna between Vijayawada and Guntur towns.
The invitation to the two island nations came after the Singapore government submitted the final master plan for what will be the core administrative borough of the capital region.
The seed capital area, as it is called, will be the centre of power of Andhra Pradesh. Located in the northern part of the capital region, the seed capital area will house various government offices including the state secretariat, high court, and the official residences of the governor and the chief minister. Singapore has developed three master plans for Amaravati.
By inviting Japan to come on board the capital-building process, Naidu is trying to rope in two of Asia’s biggest economies that have thrived on global trade. Naidu is trying to transform revenue-deficit Andhra Pradesh, which has the longest coastline on the country’s eastern front, into an export-oriented logistics hub.
“During my recent visit to Japan, I requested the Japanese to be consortium partners if Singapore takes the lead for seed capital. They said they would consider it,” Naidu told a media conference in Rajahmundry. “If they consider, nothing like that. If these two countries come together, the world’s top companies will come forward. Then our dream of building a world-class Amaravati will become true,” he said in Telugu.
The seed capital will be developed on a public-private partnership model.
Andhra Pradesh is considering selecting a development partner for Amaravati under the Swiss Challenge process, where an organisation submits a proposal, which in turn can be challenged by other organisations. If the first organisation cannot match the competing counter proposal, the project is awarded to the competing party.
Singapore said its firms will evaluate the opportunity to be Amaravati Development Partner.
“They will study the opportunity closely before submitting the proposal. We look forward to continuing the partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh,” S. Iswaran, Singapore’s second minister for trade and industry said.
Andhra Pradesh signed an agreement with Singapore in December to develop three master plans for Andhra Pradesh’s capital at no cost. Singapore, in turn, mandated urban planning consultancies, Jurong International Holdings Pte Ltd and Surbana International Consultants Pte. Ltd to prepare the master plans.
The first phase of the capital will be completed by 2018, Naidu said. The foundation stone will be laid on 22 October.
Singapore submitted a detailed master plan for the seed capital in Rajahmundry, where Naidu has set up a camp office to oversee the ongoing Godavari Pushkaralu festival.
Spanning 16.9 sq.km, the seed capital is planned for 300,000 residents and envisages creating 700,000 jobs in various sectors including in the government.
To be developed in five phases, the seed capital region will have a government complex, a central business district, residential townships, a downtown waterfront, parks and gardens, and recreational spaces.
“This is where the beginnings of a great city will be established and Singapore is honoured to play a small part through the master plans for Amaravati,” Iswaran said in a statement. “However, our partnership with Andhra Pradesh will begin from this point by assisting them in the development of capital city. We will continue to collaborate on development of Amaravati.”
A 25km network of walkways and waterways has been proposed to promote walk-to-work and non-motorised commute. Water bodies, including the Krishna river, which flows through Amaravati, will sprawl half of the seed capital area, according to the government.
The master plan also incorporates an integrated network of 12-km metro rail network, 15-km bus rapid transit and 7-km road network in the downtown area. This apart, the arterial and sub-arterial road network will span about 26km and collector roads, which move traffic from local streets to arterial roads will encompass 53km.
“Next and very important stage is really the development phase, where the plans are turned into reality on the ground,” said Iswaran.
“We need to get investments. In true spirit, we have to build one of the best smart cities,” said Naidu. “For this investment and to plan in more detail, we are requesting Singapore to be part of Amaravati Partnership,” he said.
During his visit to Japan earlier this month, the country responded favourably to Naidu’s request to work on a detailed master plan for the larger capital region spanning 7,420 sq.km. Singapore submitted a broad master plan for the capital region on 30 March. The capital city master plan spread over 217 sq.km. was given to the state government on 25 May.
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