6 member committee to review devlpt plans for Amaravati

: Amid the growing uncertainty on whether or not Amaravati will remain Andhra Pradeshs capital, the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government on Friday appointed a six-member expert committee essentially to review the development plans and also suggest a comprehensive strategy for its all-round development.

Retired IAS officer G Nageswara Rao will be the convenor of the committee that will have Mahaveer, Professor of Planning, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi; Anjali Mohan, Urban and Regional Planner; Shivananda Swamy, CEPT, Ahmedabad; K T Ravindran, retired professor, Delhi School of Architecture, and K V Arunachalam, retired Chief Urban Planner, Chennai, as its members.

"The expert committee will undertake a quick review of the developmental plans initiated so far and suggest comprehensive strategy for all-round development of the entire state, including the Capital," Municipal Administration and Urban Development Secretary J Syamala Rao said in an order.

Another expert in environmental issues and flood management would be co-opted into the committee, he said, adding it would submit its report to the government within six weeks.

Official sources, however, averred that the committee was constituted essentially to review the Amaravati development plans as the YSR Congress government brought all the development works in the capital city to a halt.

The government action, coupled with ambiguous statements by some ministers, triggered speculation that the capital might be changed to a different location.

Municipal Minister Botcha Satyanarayana has been vocal in claiming that the construction costs in the present capital area were 'too prohibitive' and hence the government was looking at the viability factor.

He asserted that no works would be taken up till a complete review of costs and other factors was done.

The constitution of the expert committee assumes significance in the backdrop of the minister's assertions.