Amaravati's Phoenix Rise: ₹45,000 Crore Construction Projects to Commence.

Amaravati, the new Greenfield capital of Andhra Pradesh, is experiencing a remarkable revival after being a “ghost city” for the past five years. The city, which had been left stagnant following the suspension of construction works, is now witnessing renewed activity. The Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) is preparing to release tenders for ₹45,249 crore worth of construction projects in the region, with work set to begin in about a week, according to senior officials.

Early signs of progress are evident, with the clearance of shrub forests already underway, and some previously approved projects in motion. Key infrastructure projects to be initiated include the Assembly building, a high-rise tower on 103 acres, a 47-storey Chief Minister’s office, a new High Court building, and the construction of 579 km of roads as part of the capital’s layout.

The first projects to be completed will be residential quarters for Ministers, Legislators, and IAS officers, which had been nearly finished before work was halted by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government. A team of experts from IITs examined the half-completed structures and confirmed that they were still structurally sound.

While the revised total cost for government buildings and basic infrastructure in the region is estimated at ₹62,000 crore, ₹45,249 crore in projects have been cleared for execution so far. The remaining works are expected to be approved shortly.

The capital project, originally launched by the TDP government in 2014, was put on hold by the YSRCP government after it came to power in 2019. The YSRCP announced a decentralized capital model, designating Visakhapatnam, Amaravati, and Kurnool as the executive, legislative, and judicial capitals, respectively. This decision halted all construction, leaving the region to transform into a shrub forest.

Now, with the forest cleared and street lights installed, Amaravati is beginning to take shape once again. The central government has also revived the allocation of land for major educational institutes, as well as for offices of key institutions like the Reserve Bank of India and NABARD.

HBL