Amaravati reaches a new milestone, construction to start on Vijayadasami

Amaravati: The final plan for the proposed administrative city of Andhra Pradesh's capital was finalised on Friday after Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting in the secretariat, with representatives from Norman Fosters, a London-based architecture firm and Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) officials.

Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana said that statues of NT Rama Rao and Dr BR Ambedkar would be installed in the capital city, The News Minute reported. There will also be a 500 m tall tower constructed, which will give a view of the entire city.

The Assembly block design will be finalised by August 15 and the construction will begin from September 30, on the occasion of Vijayadasami. Meanwhile, the plans for the High Court and the Secretariat will be finalised on August 30, and the construction work will begin later in September.

The permanent Secretariat will have 10 stairs, the minister said and added that the Head of Department offices and Secretariat would be built in a single campus, which will be on an extent of 40 lakh sqft.

Tenders would be called for the construction of Assembly, Secretariat and high court in three phases, Dr Narayana said and added that separate tenders would be called for the laying of foundation, construction, final designs and interiors. The works will be completed within a span of one and half years, the minister said.

The estimate cost for constructing the new capital is yet to be decided.

CM Chandrababu Naidu had earlier said, “The stupa signifies happiness, and justice is the greatest happiness I want my people to feel, reflected by the High Court. The Assembly building, at the centre of the city plan, should be inspired by the historic Kohinoor, which happens to be born in this very land."