Amaravati proves land pooling model successful: Chandrababu Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said development progresses where farmers willingly provide land, citing Amaravati as a successful model. He also highlighted welfare schemes, infrastructure projects, technology investments and labour welfare initiatives while addressing a public meeting in Krishna district
Pamidimukkala (Andhra Pradesh): Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said that land is needed to achieve development, stressing that development moves ahead where farmers come forward to give land.
Addressing a public meeting at Pamidimukkala village in Krishna district while commemorating May Day and “Pedala Sevalo” (in the service of the poor) programmes, he said the greenfield capital city of Amaravati is an example of this development model, where 29,000 farmers came forward to give 33,000 acres of land.
“I have to tell you all one thing; land is needed for development. Where farmers give land, there development moves forward… Amaravati is a model. That day when I asked, 33,000 acres of land was given by 29,000 farmers without taking even a single pie under land pooling,” Naidu said.
Naidu added that Amaravati farmers came forward based on the promise of returning developed plots and annuity, calling this arrangement a “gamechanger”.
Today, the Amaravati capital has come up there and the farmers’ fortunes are changing.
Observing that the greenfield capital city’s construction is progressing at a fast pace, the TDP supremo promised to build an inner ring road (IRR) in Amaravati.
Underscoring the “faith” farmers reposed in him, Naidu said his request for more land under the second phase of the land pooling scheme (LPS) has prompted them to give another 16,000 acres, adding that he will repay their “debt”.
Likewise, the CM said 3,000 acres were given to set up a steel city in Visakhapatnam and highlighted that the USD 15 billion Google AI data centre investment, which he said will propel the state to the top internationally in technology, drew responses from players like Reliance Jio.
According to the chief minister, Reliance Jio has come forward to invest USD 17 billion or Rs 1.7 lakh crore in Andhra Pradesh.
“What is the benefit of this? I am asking you to understand that the future belongs to technology, not physical labour,” Naidu said.
Further, he said the Centre is taking up road widening works at a cost of Rs 574 crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme, noting that the Machilipatnam bypass road will be widened from a two-lane road to a six-lane one, along with the widening of the beach road.
Likewise, the road from Vijayawada to Machilipatnam is being widened into a six-lane highway, while an express highway will link Hyderabad and Machilipatnam.
Extending May Day greetings, the CM said the southern state is providing monthly welfare pensions to 62.4 lakh people and has spent Rs 63,000 crore on this scheme in the past 22 months.
Every month, he said, Rs 2,700 crore is being earmarked for the welfare pension scheme, highlighting that the TDP-led NDA government was spending Rs 33,000 crore on this scheme annually, unlike any other state in the country.
Saluting the working class toiling in torrid temperatures and hazardous conditions, Naidu emphasised that it was their struggle that was driving society forward.
For such workers, he said the government was spending Rs 615 crore on labour welfare and added that “labour addas” (centres) will be set up at 15 places across the state, which will offer shelter during rain and heat waves and help avoid difficulties.
From the labour addas, he said manpower could be hired and promised to transform these facilities into skill development centres.
Noting that labour welfare schemes have been revived, Naidu said the government will extend Rs 25,000 for the wedding of a construction worker and emphasised that this scheme will also apply to his daughter.
On childbirth, the CM said Rs 20,000 will be extended to the construction worker’s wife and daughter as financial aid, among other schemes for the working class.
Along with the construction of ESI hospitals at Atchutyapuram, Guntur, Sri City and Kurnool, the CM said a similar facility will also be built in Amaravati.
Further, Naidu said the government has set a target to complete Bandar Port in Machilipatnam by December, among other goals.
Naidu accused the opposition YSRCP of being a political party with a “criminal nature” and said “criminals” are useless in politics.
Alluding to YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Naidu alleged that the former was plagued by mental issues, which were causing him to “cheat all and destroy”.
Further, he alleged that the erstwhile YSRCP government had destroyed the Polavaram Project and stalled the construction of people’s capital Amaravati, calling it a desert and a graveyard.
