Wait for Amaravati loan gets longer

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government has to wait some more months to get the World Bank loan for the construction of the capital city Amaravati. World Bank inspection team wants to further study the relief and rehabilitation scheme relating to the land pooling scheme. The team will submit its report within six months to the World Bank Board, based on which the Board will sanction the loan. 

The World Bank has posted in its website the latest developments on loan assistance process to Amaravati capital city. AP government had approached the World Bank for Rs 4,000 crore loan for the construction of Amaravati. The inspection panel of the World Bank has submitted its report and recommendations on Amaravati’s sustainable development to the board of executive directors of the World Bank. 

The panel has recommended “carrying out an investigation into the alleged issues of harm and potential non compliance with World Bank policies, especially relating to involuntary resettlement.”Meanwhile, the World Bank management has submitted to the panel a document entitled “Addendum to the management response to request for inspection panel review of proposed Amaravati city development project.”

The World Bank said that the inspection panel is updating its report and recommendation based on management’s addendum and the proposed actions. The panel will inform the board of its recommendations within six months, by which time key planned assessment studies as well as other actions by management are expected to be completed. 

The World Bank said that the proposed project is being prepared on the basis that it triggers the WB's operational policy on involuntary resettlement. It said that all those impacted by land assembly practices required for the implementation of the proposed project are project affected people. World Bank said that the project team has focused on advancing the preparations of the proposed project with specific attention outlined by the bank management.