Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority to have final word
Hyderabad: Important institutions like APTransco, the Southern Power Distribution Company (DISCOM), AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation and the APSRTC will work under the ambit of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority in the capital city area.
The draft of the APCRDA Bill also brings other crucial infrastructure institutions like the roads and buildings wing, the housing corporation, Housing board Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh, among others, under the authority of the CRDA in the capital limits.
The CRDA will be headed by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu as its chairman. The body will have the authority to direct these institutions on infrastructure development in the capital region.
The Bill will be placed in the Assembly session commencing December 18.
“The idea behind bringing crucial infrastructure institutions under CRDA is to ensure that the usual delays in moving files from one department to the other do not happen. Mr Naidu wants all projects connected with the capital cleared without any delay. The CRDA will have the final say in infrastructure projects in the capital area as the CM himself would be heading it,” said a senior official.
“The CRDA will also have authority to create special purpose vehicles. SPVs will be used for the design and construction of buildings in the capital city area and also for large infrastructure projects like underground cabling, provision of utility services, design and execution of social infrastructure projects, and land acquisition and augmentation of financial resources,” a senior official said.
The CRDA, as a representative of the government, can participate in such SPVs as an equity or debt holder.
While the CM-led CRDA board will have the powers to sanction any project estimated to cost over Rs 100 crore, the executive committee-led, by a senior IAS officer, will have the authority to approve projects worth between Rs 10 crore and Rs 100 crore.
Any work or project in the capital city area below Rs 1 crore would be sanctioned by the CRDA commissioner.
