Viswanath Pilla Moneycontrol News
Farmers from several villages in Guntur district, who parted with their land for the development of new Andhra Pradesh capital Amaravati, are reposing their faith in Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on fears that his defeat may stall the whole project.
"I am voting for Naidu this time," said Nageswara Rao, a farmer who gave 2.5 acres of land to the new capital. Rao gets around Rs 70,000 as compensation per annum for his agricultural land.
"Jagan Mohan Reddy's silence on capital gives us jitters," Rao said.
Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government had acquired around 34,000 acres of farm land, through a contentious voluntary land pooling scheme. Some of the farm land, given the proximity to Krishna river and fertility, enable three crops per year.
Naidu was able to convince farmers by promising 1,300 square yards of fully developed land plot per each acre land.
In the interim of capital construction, the farmers will receive an annual compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre for a fixed period of 10 years.
Those with fertile land will get an annual compensation of Rs 50,000 for 10 years and a slightly larger portion of land.
The announcement of capital led to skyrocketing of real estate prices in the adjoining areas, making many land owners overnight millionaires.
So far so good. But farmers are now concerned about what would happen to the project if YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy comes to power in the state.
Reddy has maintained stoic silence on Amaravati in his election manifesto or rallies. Reddy may not be as enthusiastic about Amaravati, which is more of Naidu's dream project.
There was speculation that Reddy had plans to develop capital city in Donakonda in Prakasam district in 2014.
But it isn't going to be easy to shift the capital, as civil works worth thousands of crores are already underway. The state assembly, secretariat and high court are already operating out of Amaravati in temporary premises.
A government employee who works at the secretariat told Moneycontrol that it would take at least 5-10 years for permanent buildings to get completed.
Many contracts were recently awarded and construction has just begun, he said on condition of anonymity.
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