Andhra Pradesh committee visits cities to study capital models

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana, who heads the advisory committee on developing a capital city for the state, is undertaking visits to different state capitals known for their planned development.

A high-level team led by Narayana visited Gandhinagar on Tuesday. It is touring Chandigarh Wednesday and Naya Raipur on Thursday, according to the Municipal Administration Minister.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had recently announced that Vijayawada region would be the capital of Andhra Pradesh and that the state government would go for decentralized development.

Narayana and the team visited 'GIFT CITY' (Gujarat International Finance and Technology City) during their visit to Gandhinagar and studied different building complexes, infrastructure facilities set up with world class standards and the technology systems put in place.

The team discussed urban planning, drinking water supply and waste management with senior Gujarat officials in the state Secretariat.

The best practices followed in making roads and drainage systems and other aspects of civic life have also been studied.

The delegation also visited the petroleum university campus in Gandhinagar and sought to know about its functioning and different facilities.

The Centre recently gave clearance to set up a similar university at Rajahmundry in Coastal Andhra off KG basin.

Gandhinagar was specially developed after the formation of Gujarat by the division of undivided Maharashtra in 1960, the minister recalled.

Narayana was accompanied by advisory committee's member B Masthan Rao and officials of Municipal Administration.

The other members of the advisory committee include top honchos of GMR and GVK Groups among others.

The advisory committee has been constituted to examine various aspects of building a new capital and suggest a plan of action.

The committee had earlier indicated that it also plans to visit international cities like Singapore, Brasilia and Putrajaya to study the issue.

During a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister last month, a delegation from McKinsey also gave a presentation titled 'Vision for AP Capital', according to an official release.

A panel of experts appointed by the Centre on the issue of capital city had submitted its report last month.

The committee did not recommend name of any particular place for establishment of the capital, but suggested that the state government should function simultaneously from three different places.