Amaravati phase-I work on track, to be completed by next year: Narayana

Vijayawada: Municipal administration and urban development minister P Narayana has asserted that all works in Amaravati were progressing as per schedule. He dismissed criticism from the opposition over the capital city project.

He said attempts to compare the construction costs of iconic landmark structures with those of ordinary buildings were misleading and intended to create confusion among the public.Minister reviewed the progress of Amaravati capital construction works with representatives of various contracting agencies and senior officials here on Wednesday. He exuded confidence that the first phase of the project would be completed within the scheduled timeline.

The review focused on the status of govt buildings, road networks and land pooling scheme (LPS) layout works currently under execution. The minister sought project-wise updates from contractors on the percentage of work completed, pending activities and measures being taken to adhere to construction schedules.Addressing the media after the review, Narayana asserted that no amount of political conspiracy or campaign would delay the capital works. He maintained that Amaravati’s first phase would be completed as planned by 2027. He also claimed that even leaders within the YSRCP were not convinced by Jagan Mohan Reddy’s proposal to make “Mavigan versus Amaravati” an election issue. Taking a swipe at YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy over his “Mavigan“ remarks, Narayana said people no longer believe such political narratives.

“People are even joking about what ‘Mavigan‘ actually means,” he remarked.He said the state govt was bringing all major administrative departments to one location in Amaravati to ensure ease of governance and better public service delivery, and alleged that the criticism stemmed from a lack of understanding of the project. Highlighting the city’s infrastructure planning, Narayana said Amaravati was being developed with an extensive underground utility network to ensure a clean and mosquito-free urban environment.

He said the integrated underground systems would support long-term civic management and improve the quality of life for residents.Providing an update on key infrastructure, Narayana said the MLA quarters have already been completed. He added that the MLC towers and All India Service (AIS) officers’ towers were expected to be completed by the end of this month. He explained that the completed buildings are being handed over to the General Administration Department (GAD), which will allocate them in accordance with the prescribed norms. He reiterated that all major construction works in Amaravati were progressing according to schedule.