A dream taking shape: PM Modi launches projects worth ₹58k cr in Amaravati

The projects unveiled for the greenfield city of Amaravati include flood mitigation infra, road networks, and construction of key buildings such as the Assembly, secretariat, and High Courts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that Amaravati is not just a city but a dream taking shape, as he inaugurated and laid the foundation for multiple infrastructure projects worth Rs 58,000 crore in the region. These projects also mark the resumption of construction projects in the city, which Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has billed as the future capital of the state.  "Amaravati is the land where tradition and progress go hand in hand. Where there is the peace of the Buddhist heritage and also the energy of building a developed India," PM Modi said at the event, news agency PTI reported.  The prime minister laid foundation stones for 74 projects worth Rs 49,000 crore, which include construction of the Assembly, Secretariat and High Court buildings and judicial residential quarters, along with housing buildings for 5,200 families, reported PTI. The other projects include city infrastructure, national highway development, railway enhancements, and defence facilities.  Construction in Amaravati was stalled in 2019 by the then YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The administration had raised concerns about the sustainability and environmental impact of concentrating state resources in a single region. As an alternative, it proposed a three-capital model—designating Amaravati as the legislative capital, Visakhapatnam as the administrative centre, and Kurnool as the judicial capital.  Since returning to power, however, Naidu has revived his plans for Amaravati as a greenfield state capital.  PM Modi added that these projects would lay a strong foundation for the "aspirations of Andhra Pradesh and the hopes of a developed India".  "I would like to reassure the people of Andhra Pradesh, and my associates who are sitting here that you will always find me with you for the development of Andhra Pradesh," he added. 

Key projects

• Flood mitigation projects featuring a 320-km long transport network.
• Land-pooling scheme infrastructure projects to cover 1,281 km of roads in the capital.
• DRDO's missile testing centre at Nagayalanka
• Unity mall in Vizag
• Guntakal–Mallappa Gate Rail overbridge
• Six national highway projects