AP Government kick-starts capital construction

As a first step towards making the dream capital a reality, the State government kick-started the activity by laying the foundation stone for a temporary capital aka Interim Government Complex at Velagapudi in Guntur district on Wednesday.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone amidst Vedic chants and performed ‘bhoomi pooja’.

Even as villagers and guests were captivated with his evident poignant attachment to the ongoing rituals, he bowed down to offer traditional obeisance and prayers to the land.

He arrived just before the auspicious ‘muhurtam’ of 8.23 a.m.

Though officials made arrangements for a helipad, he arrived in his car.

It was expected that he would fly to the ceremony venue.

Mr. Naidu became emotional at the foundation stone laying ceremony and recalled his efforts to sanctify the place by holy waters brought from Tirumala to Mecca to Jerusalem. Soil and water from holy places, irrespective of religion, were brought to Amaravati to consecrate the area and for the well being of people of the State as administration would be done from here, he said.

The government began the capital construction process with a resolution in the State Cabinet meeting in September 2014.

A ‘bhoomi pooja’ was performed on June 8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone on October 22 last year.

“Now, we are laying the foundation stone for temporary capital. It will be completed by June. It is a fist step in our endeavour to construct world class capital,” he added.

The Interim Government Complex will be built by construction majors — L&T and Shapoorji Pallonji — with a total built-up area of 6 lakh sq ft in a 28-acre area. Another 17 acres in Velagapudi has been earmarked for creating public facilities around the temporary Secretariat.