Farmers have expressed interest in pursuing land pooling 30,000 acres of land would be required to develop international airport

1. Tenders for 68 projects completed
2. 851 acres of gravel from local quarries have been allocated to the CRDA (Capital Region Development Authority) for construction purposes.
3. All govt buildings will be completed by next year
4. Trunk roads are expected to be finished within 12 months, while layout roads

The much-discussed land acquisition for the second phase of Amaravati’s capital development remains in limbo, with no concrete decisions made yet, according to Minister Narayana. In a recent statement, the Minister clarified that the state government has not yet reached a conclusion regarding the land acquisition process.

Narayana revealed that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had earlier decided to earmark 5,000 acres for the construction of an international airport. However, the Minister emphasized that land acquisition through conventional means would lead to significant losses for farmers. The Minister also conducted a site inspection at the gravel quarries in Ananthavaram, assessing potential resources for the capital’s infrastructure needs.

Speaking to the press after the visit, Narayana reiterated the government’s vision for Amaravati. He explained that the Chief Minister has plans to create a mega city encompassing the areas of Mangalagiri, Tadepalli, Guntur, and Vijayawada. As part of this ambitious plan, the construction of an international airport has been proposed to bolster the region’s growth.

Regarding the method of land acquisition, Narayana suggested that land pooling — an alternative to traditional land acquisition — could be more beneficial for farmers. He pointed out that while acquiring land through standard means would result in a registration fee that is 2.5 times higher than market value, land pooling offers farmers a return that would be more advantageous in the long run. The Minister confirmed that farmers have expressed interest in pursuing land pooling.

To establish the international airport, Narayana explained, around 30,000 acres of land would be required. After farmers receive returnable plots of land, a portion of the remaining land would be used for infrastructure like roads, drainage systems, and other facilities. Ultimately, only about 5,000 acres of land would remain under government control. Therefore, the Minister underscored the necessity of adopting land pooling for acquiring additional land.

Although discussions are still ongoing, no final decision on whether to proceed with land acquisition or land pooling for the airport project has been made. The Minister also reminisced about how, in 2015, farmers voluntarily pooled 34,000 acres of land for the development of Amaravati in just 58 days, highlighting the successful implementation of land pooling in the past.