After 2 years of split, Andhra Pradesh is ready to move into its new capital. There are total 13,300 people, 500 trucks, 1 lakh files, 1 lakh weapons, 342 km.
And here is the list of the preparations going on for the new state:
- Five one-story blocks are being built, spreading over 1 lakh sq ft each, to house a transitional Andhra Pradesh secretariat.
- The secretariat will be spread over 45 acres in which 27 acres will be for the buildings and the rest of public amenities worth Rs 180 crore.
- Capital Region Development Authority estimates budget of over Rs 50,000 crore
- Farmers give 34,000 acres in 31 villages under a land-pooling scheme for the capital
- 2,304 employees of 32 departments at the Andhra Secretariat, and 11,020 employees of 90 departments in Hyderabad to move
- 500 trucks to transport 1 lakh files, 11,000 -odd pieces of furniture
- The 300-km transfer to Vijayawada, Guntur or Velagapudi will cost around Rs 5 crore
Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has set a deadline of June 27 for all officials to start functioning from government offices at Velagapudi, Vijayawada and Guntur. CM has decided that Velagapudi will be the house of transitional secretariat.
“All the department heads have been told to hire trucks. Each department is responsible for moving its assets, each employee responsible for the files and papers that are on his desk on the day of shifting.” Panigrahi is also sure that come June 27, “all employees will have to do is report to work at their specified office locations”.
“But there are still thousands of paper files to be carried manually,” says Parakala Prabhakar, advisor to the Chief Minister. These files will be transported in secure containers, escorted by at least one person from the department concerned and would be delivered to the new premises the same day.
“There are some new buildings which according to the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) can be used by police. But these buildings have to meet specifications,” says the DGP.
Around 500 police officers from various departments, including specialised ones such as Greyhounds and Octopus, will be moving to Vijayawada by June end. After the weapons are shifted, the Andhra Police must ensure that its communication network and forensic labs are up and running at the earliest. “Moving the forensic lab is itself a difficult task,” the DGP says.
Capital Amaravati itself will take another three to four years to be built, officials admit. A Japanese firm is finalising the designs of the crucial buildings and once Naidu okays them, construction will start.
“The basic buildings, like the Secretariat, Legislative Assembly complex, high court, governor’s bungalow will take at least two years to build and construction may be completed by early 2019. All the offices that are being built now are temporary,” says Minister P Narayana.
“Once the capital shifts to temporary locations, the focus can be on developing the state and also Amaravati. Now with head offices located 300 km away in Hyderabad, it is very inconvenient. The government is also spending a lot of money on airfare and travel expenses of officers making frequent trips between Hyderabad and Vijayawada,” an official says.
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By M. Divya Shri
