Singapore delivers first plan for Indian state's capital city

Blueprint first of three for Andhra Pradesh
By Reme Ahmad, Assistant Money Editor, The Straits Times, 31 Mar 2015

SINGAPORE officials handed over the first of three masterplans for the new capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh yesterday.

The blueprint for the 7,235 sq km capital region was delivered just 31/2 months after Singapore and Andhra Pradesh signed an agreement to create a masterplan of, and develop the city for, India's eighth-largest state by size.

The masterplans are being designed by Singapore companies Surbana International Consultants and Jurong Consultants, working with Andhra Pradesh officials.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu told a business seminar here yesterday that the blueprint's delivery reflected Singapore's reputation for efficiency and timely delivery, and helped move the project to an "advanced state". "In collaboration with Singapore, we are confident we are building a world-class city in India," he said.

Andhra Pradesh needs to build a new capital after India's 29th state, Telangana, was carved out from its territory last year.

The current capital, Hyderabad, a city of high-tech industries with companies including Google and Microsoft, will be shared by the two states for the next 10 years although it is geographically within Telangana.

The as-yet-unnamed capital city will be built on swathes of farming and non-farm land in the Guntur-Vijayawada region, roughly two hours by plane from New Delhi.

The capital will be constructed in a unique collaboration between Singapore and the self-styled "Sunrise State", which has a population of 49 million people and contributes 5 per cent to India's gross domestic product.

The phase one masterplan, among other things, identifies long-term economic positioning of the existing towns and cities within the capital region, said Second Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran.

A second-stage plan will consist of a 220 sq km capital city.

The third phase will be a "seed development" plan for an 8 sq km to 10 sq km project, where the first parts of the capital will be constructed and populated.

The Andhra Pradesh government has started to acquire land from around 10,000 land owners.

Land acquisition is often the most difficult part of big infrastructure projects in India and the state's swift move underscores the urgency with which it is treating the project.

Mr Naidu said he has gathered 13,355 ha in a "land pooling" exercise, a process by which land owners exchange their agriculture land for land in the new city as part of their compensation.

Mr Naidu and Mr Iswaran yesterday chaired a high-level committee meeting on the project.

Second Minister S Iswaran and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu jointly announced the completion of...
Posted by Ministry of Trade & Industry on Tuesday, March 31, 2015

* Singapore completes second phase of Andhra Pradesh master plan

Plan will guide development of Amravati, which will house state govt, be commercial hub for regional industries

By Lee Yen Nee, TODAY, 26 May 2015

The Republic today (May 25) handed over the master plan for Andhra Pradesh’s new capital city, Amravati, to the Indian state’s government, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said in a statement.

The master plan will guide the development of Amravati, which will be the seat of Andhra Pradesh’s government, up to 2050. The 220 sq km capital city, named after an ancient Buddhist city, will rise on the banks of the Krishna River, between the existing cities of Vijayawada and Guntur.

Besides housing the state government, Amravati will also be a commercial hub for existing regional industries such as agribusinesses and logistics, as well as new sectors such as information technology-enabled services and pharmaceuticals, to support the economy and create jobs for the people, MTI said.

At the same time, connectivity will be enhanced with a bus rapid transit system that can be upgraded to a Mass Rapid Transit system. Non-motorised transport choices using an extensive network of walkways, cycle tracks and local waterways are also included in the master plan. The plan also aims to ensure a quality living environment.

To achieve that, there will be infrastructure to deliver reliable supplies of electricity and water while managing solid waste and sewerage. There are also plans to preserve much of the existing greenery and waterways while introducing new parks, gardens and recreational facilities.

Second Minister S Iswaran and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandrababu Naidu announced the completion of Phase...
Posted by Ministry of Trade & Industry on Monday, May 25, 2015

Singapore’s Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran, who delivered the master plan to Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, said: “Singapore has worked closely with the Andhra Pradesh government to complete the master plan on schedule. I am happy that Singapore has contributed to Andhra Pradesh’s vision to create a vibrant and liveable city for its people.”

Amravati will be built on land pooled from the contributions of the villagers in the region. In return, they will receive plots of commercial and residential land in the city. This is the second of a three-stage plan of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and the Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh.

The first phase, which outlined plans for the more than 7,000 sq km capital region, was completed in March.

The final stage, which involves developing finer details for the 8 sq km core city, is expected to be completed in June.

The collaboration came after the Telangana region was separated from Andhra Pradesh to form India’s 29th state, taking along the capital, Hyderabad, with it. Andhra Pradesh has 10 years to build a new capital.

Today, the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise and the Swachh Andhra Corp also signed an agreement to jointly develop a framework for an integrated solid waste management master plan for Andhra Pradesh. The project is expected to be completed in three months.