Andhra Pradesh CM Jaganmohan Reddy (File Photo)

VIJAYAWADA: Presiding over the empty coffers with debt burden over his head, chief minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy seems to be exploring a different plan for the new capital, Amaravati .

If the initial information is any indication, the government is in favour of dropping the administrative capital plan, and continuing in the existing set-up, particularly to avoid spending on new buildings for administrative capital.

Former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu had planned the administrative capital, besides 8 other cities, in Amaravati. The administrative capital has five multi-floor towers, Assembly building and Raj Bhavan. The five towers in the secretariat were proposed for 45 floors for four towers and 50 floors for one tower. The tower with 50-floors was proposed for the Chief Minister’s Office, besides his own secretariat.

The Assembly building too had a Central Hall, between the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. This would, besides having offices for the Assembly, the chief ministers and the ministers, have a 60-meter tall tower for the people to go up and have an aerial view of the capital city.

The designs for the Secretariat towers and the Assembly were given by the renowned Norman and Fosters, after several rounds of modifications that took two years. The designs were finalized by the previous government, which had even issued tender notification. But, the elections stopped further work .

Now having come to power, Jaganmohan Reddy, had stopped the engineering works in the capital in the name of an enquiry. The works which have not started or completed 50% were stopped, while the rest were allowed to continue.

The sources close to the chief minister said that Jaganmohan Reddy is not in favour of yet another round of investment on the administrative capital buildings.

“The five buildings at Velagapudi are enough for the secretariat and the one building for the Assembly. What is the need for another set of buildings for the same purpose, when there is no money?” the chief minister said.

At the most, the sources indicated, the chief minister would complete the seed access road, which was stopped midway. The road, which starts from Venkatapalem, would be connected to the NH at Kanakadurgamma Varadhi. “The other plans can wait till the exchequer gets strong,” the chief minister reportedly told the officials and the ministers.

The chief minister is also planning for a couple of convention centers in Velagapudi area for the government to hold its major conventions, as it has been depending on the function halls available in Vijayawada for such conventions.

