Chandrababu's bouquet of promises on AP Capital

The dream capital of Chandrababu Naidu government in all likelihood is going to cost a ton. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister who has scouted around the world to select Singapore company as designers and Japanese construction firms as builders is keen to make it a role model capital with all futuristic infrastructure.

"After all, I am building a capital city for grandsons and daughters of AP who would like to work in a global environment," Naidu said at a recent review meeting on new capital at the Secretariat.

In all, it plans 15 buildings and complexes in the capital region of Andhra Pradesh in the first phase and has sought central funding for the same. It wants to build Raj Bhavan, CM's camp office-cum-residence, legislative assembly, legislative council, state secretariat complex, ministers' residences, a central government office complex, a high court complex, government guest houses, utility offices, security offices and a central command centre.

And the AP government wants the detailed project reports on all the buildings ready in 45 days and wants to ensure that they are commercially and administratively operational by 2019. In its report to the Union Urban affairs ministry, Andhra Pradesh has detailed the sector wise cost.

With a projection of Rs.20,000 crore for the entire CRDA in first phase, construction of roads and water supply infrastructure is estimated at Rs 500 crore, and other paraphernalia of power cabling, drainage and drinking water lines for the capital city complex (all underground) is likely to cost Rs 1,200 crore. The new capital area will have two helipads, a metro rail station, sky ways and also escalators.

But all that the center has so far has announced was just Rs.5000 crore for the new capital in the last budget. "Besides that we have just got a full basket of promises only," says a senior minister in Chandrababu Naidu government.