VIJAYAWADA: The Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) is moving forward with the second phase of land pooling in Amaravati. Unit offices are being established in the villages included in this phase, with activities now underway in seven of the nine offices. These villages are located in the Tulluru and Amaravati (old) mandals within the Guntur and Palnadu districts.
Comprehensive reports detailing village-specific land information, farmers’ land ownership, crop patterns, and the profiles of landless laborers in the pooling area have been submitted to respective district collectors. Staff assigned to the unit offices are being trained to accurately record land and landowner details following prescribed documentation formats.
To manage operations at the unit offices, two special grade deputy collectors will be appointed. The state government aims to pool 16,666 acres of land from farmers as part of the initial round of Land Pooling Scheme 2.0, resulting in a total estimate of over 20,000 acres when accounting for government land.
Meanwhile, Minister for MAUD P. Narayana reviewed the progress of ongoing construction in Amaravati, specifically residential buildings for senior officials and public representatives. He mentioned that the CRDA anticipates transferring completed buildings to the state government by the end of April.
The housing projects, initially launched in 2018 but stalled during the five-year YSRCP tenure, have been revived by the NDA government. The goal is to complete outstanding works by December 2025. However, Narayana noted that heavy rains this year have led to significant work delays.
Among the 4,026 residential units under construction, 186 are standalone bungalows designated for high court judges, principal secretaries, and ministers, while the remaining 3,850 units will be apartment-style for MLAs, MLCs, AIS officers, and government employees. Narayana observed that most bungalows for ministers are nearing completion, and work on judges’ bungalows is in its final stages. Residential towers for All India Services officers are also approaching completion.
Except for approximately 500 housing units, the minister expects all remaining buildings to be finalized by the end of March. Regarding the seed access road, Narayana indicated that land acquisition notifications will be issued on Wednesday, involving the acquisition of just 4.5 acres, with landowners consenting to contribute 2 acres under the Land Pooling Scheme.
