Mangalagiri in race for seemandhra capital
GUNTUR: Amid speculation that the forest area at Mangalagiri will be chosen for setting up the capital city for the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh, the KC Shivaramakrishnan Committee, constituted by the Centre to recommend options for establishment of new capital for the RAP, visited various places including Mangalagiri, Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) and Lam village in the district on Monday.
After examining the areas, the committee conducted a review meeting with district collector S Suresh Kumar, VGUTM-UDA chairman Vanukuri Srinivasa Reddy, Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) commissioner K Krishnaveni and other officials.
Several prominent leaders and individuals, including former MP Yalamanchili Sivaji, submitted representations to the committee. Sivaji said that 300 acres land was available near ANU for setting up of the new capital and requested the panel to consider the option.
Mangalgiri which located between Vijayawada and Guntur, has considerable tracts of land under government control. There are readymade buildings and vacant land on the ANU campus which can be used to start off operations of the new government.
There is also the campus of the Sixth Battalion of Andhra pradesh Special Police (APSP) at Mangalagiri. With river Krishna flowing in the vicinity, water required for the new capital will not be a problem.
According to sources, the government of Andhra Pradesh has already asked the ministry of forest and environment to denotify the forest land near Mangalagiri.
Though the committee is headed by K C Sivaramakrishnan, he has not made it to Seemandhra this time due to ill health. In his absence, Rathin Roy, director of the Delhi based National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), is heading the team for now.
News Posted: 13 May, 2014
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