Cabinet Okays Amaravati Eye

Vijayawada: In a bid to radically alter the urban, industrial and social landscape of Andhra Pradesh, the state Cabinet gave its green signal to a string of transformative projects on Thursday.

These included a giant observation wheel named 'Amaravati Eye' on the banks of River Krishna, a world-class international university at Sri City, and a massive aviation policy overhaul targeting over 30 million passengers by 2035.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, cleared 35 agenda items spanning infrastructure, urban development, healthcare and rural employment. Briefing the media, information minister Kolusu Parthasarathy said the decisions reflect a balanced approach toward cutting-edge technology, tourism and welfare governance.

Naidu has told his Cabinet colleagues to focus and prioritise development of Capital City Amaravati.

A decision was to issue an ordinance for setting up the greenfield Sri City International University in Tirupati district with a Rs 250 crore investment, reserving 35 per cent of its non-medical seats under the government quota.

In a major push to position the capital city as a premier tourism destination, the Cabinet approved the development of the Amaravati Eye — a giant observation wheel modelled after the iconic London Eye — on 6 acres of land along the Krishna river under the DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate and transfer) model with a 30-year concession period.

Additionally, the government sanctioned Rs 547.07 crore for major external development works at the High Court building and authorised high-end infrastructure additions worth Rs 94.90 crore for the All India Services quarters in Rayapudi.

Signalling an intent to capture futuristic tech industries, the Cabinet approved full stamp duty and registration fee exemptions for 49.66 acres allocated for the Amaravati Quantum Valley project.

The AP Aviation Policy 2026-31 was ratified. It aims to scale up passenger capacity to 30.38 million and air cargo to 4.27 lakh metric tonnes by 2035 by establishing 9 new airports and 10 water dromes.

Aligning with a Supreme Court directive, the Cabinet cleared an ordinance to implement the stringent Central law — the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 2011 — to dismantle black-market organ trading networks.

For the upcoming International Day of Yoga, the government sanctioned Rs 10 crore for a fortnight-long celebration targeting 1 crore citizens, while green-lighting the AP Yoga and Naturopathy Prachara Parishat.

In a boon to rural labourers, the Cabinet approved the implementation of the VBGRAMG Act 2025 from July 1, 2026, with a 60:40 Centre-state funding. The scheme enhances guaranteed manual labour from 100 to 125 days, boosting a rural family's annual income by up to Rs 7,675.

On the industrial front, extensive land parcels were allocated to NREDCAP for 102.50mw solar and 126mw wind power projects in YSR Kadapa district. Land was also cleared for APIIC expansions in Chittoor, alongside a 9.39-acre allocation to APTDC in Madhurawada, Visakhapatnam, for star hotels.

To bring relief to depositors, the Cabinet sanctioned 21 new staff posts for the special court in Vijayawada to fast-track long-pending Agri Gold cases.

Meanwhile, 25.37 acres in Vatticherukuru, Guntur, were reclassified from 'Tank Poramboke' to 'Grama Kantham', freeing them from the Section 22-A prohibited list.

INFOGRAPH:

- Amaravati Eye: A giant observation wheel modelled after the London Eye to be built on 6 acres along the Krishna river on a 30-year DBFOT lease.

- Aviation Overhaul: AP Aviation Policy 2026-31 approved; aims for 9 new airports, 10 waterdromes, and handling 30.38 million passengers by 2035.

- Organ Trade Crackdown: Proliferation of the THOTA 2011 Act via a state ordinance to legally dismantle illegal organ trading networks.

- Rural Employment Boost: VBGRAMG Act to replace MGNREGA rules from July 1, increasing guaranteed work days from 100 to 125 days.

- Agri Gold Relief: 21 new administrative and judicial posts sanctioned to activate the Vijayawada Special Court for rapid case clearance.

- Sri City University: Greenfield international varsity approved with a Rs 250 crore layout; 35 per cent non-medical seats reserved for government quota