The Directorate of Town and Country Planning favours Nagarjuna Sagar as the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh.
Officials have submitted a presentation to the sub committee on division, regarding the new capital for AP after studying Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and Donakonda in Prakasam district, Hanuman Junction in Krishna district and Nagarjuna Sagar in Guntur district.
The DTCP officials prefer Nagarjuna Sagar because it is centrally located, will have plenty of drinking water and has got good connectivity. The existing runway is in good condition too.
The preliminary report suggested that Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and Donakonda had certain disadvantages. “For instance, Visakhapatnam will have linear development because of geographical disadvantages. Kurnool will face problems of inundation and Donakonda is backward,” said a senior official.
Officials are also positive about the Hanmakonda Junction - Nuziveedu stretch because of its proximity to Gannavaram airport, availability of huge tracts of government land and good road and rail connectivity.
Meanwhile, state officials are racing against time to complete the groundwork for the division of the state.
While all the 15 sub-committees on different subjects have started preliminary exercises, chief secretary P.K. Mohanty wants a few important subjects like employee allotment, assets and liabilities division to be given shape by the end of March.
Starting Tuesday, Union home secretary Anil Goswami and senior Central officials will have a two day review on the progress of the division process with state officials. Mr Goswami will also call on Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to take stock of the division process.
“It is such a laborious exercise that all the bureaucrats and staff have been working extra hours and on holidays too,” said a top official. The State Reorganisation Cell, which will act as a nodal agency, has been strengthened to expedite the process, he added.
The sub committee on employee division has also gathered data on a majority of the employees and has prepared the ground for the Kamalanathan Committee to start its work. The division process will deal with 50,000 odd employees of whom about 5,000-6,000 will have to be disturbed. Mr Kamalanathan has already made it clear that employees would be given the option to select the cadre of either of the states.
