Dream merchants of capital city

• TDP leaders are trying to sell dreams of big capital to people
• It aids realtors jack up land prices by three to four fold
• House owners put up rents very high

Vijayawada: The ruling Telugu Desam Party leaders are selling dreams of new capital city that is set to come up in this city on banks of the river Krishna. The leaders have strange partners in selling the dreams. They are none other than realtors.

Speculation has it that the capital would come up in a circle covering Nandigama in Krishna district and Amaravathi and Tenali in Guntur district on the west, and Gannavaram in Krishna district on the east of Vijayawada city. Big capital structures, including an international airport are likely to be built around Nuzvid on the north.

The hype created by political leaders has come in handy for realtors to make a fast buck. They resort to selling and buying lands. The land prices have hit the sky high now. House owners have put up rents for house three to four folds. Big names like Y S Chowdry (Sujana Chowdary) C M Ramesh and Murali Mohan are being projected as potential buyers of large chunks of land around Nandigama and Nuzvid. Chowdary has even admitted he owned lands near Nandigama and Machilipatnam.

Meanwhile, the ruling party leaders are trying to create an impression among the people that high-rise building along the river Krishna would soon spring up. TDP MLA Gadde Rammohan Rao has been harping on likelihood of 40-storyed buildings springing up on either side of the river between Gollapudi and Prakasam Barrage. Bhavani Islands is sandwiched between Gollapudi and Prakasam Barrage. He has claimed that a big statue of N T Rama Rao, founder of the TDP, would be installed on the Bhavani Island in the river Krishna.

"A blue print is available with the Chief Minister. Beautiful buildings with river backdrop would come up on both sides giving equal importance to Guntur and Krishna districts. The Bhavani Islands and the NTR statue would add more colour to the new capital," Ramamohana Rao told The Hans India.

He further said that these buildings would be connected with two to three massive bridges across the river. The interesting part of this tale is that the 40-storyed buildings would suggest the names of some great Telugu leaders – NTR and NCB (N Chandra Babu).