Latest StoriesRegulatory

Vijayawada’s vacant land tax committee targets ₹870 crore recovery

VIJAYAWADA: To improve tax collection revenue, the NTR district administration has established a Vacant Land Tax Committee (VLTC) tasked with recovering pending vacant land tax dues from taxpayers within the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) limits. The VLTC consists of personnel from both the VMC’s revenue department and the NTR district administration, alongside town planning representatives and staff from the stamps and registration department. Despite a Rs 237 crore demand for vacant land tax, only Rs 19 crore—8.18% of the total—was collected in the previous financial year (2024-25). There are approximately 15,000 vacant land tax assessments within the 64 divisions across…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Tenders Open for Phase 1 of Vijayawada Metro

Representative image created by AI VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (APMRCL) has issued e-tenders for the Phase 1 construction of the Vijayawada metro project, which stretches across 38.4 km and includes a 4.33 km double-decker four-lane flyover. The estimated cost of the project is ₹4,150 crore. The scope of the contract encompasses the engineering, design, and construction of a viaduct totaling 38.40 km (including 4.33 km of double-decker four-lane flyover-cum-metro viaduct) along with one underground metro station and 32 elevated metro stations across the proposed two corridors. The tender documents will be available for download from the…

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Andhra Pradesh extends LRS guidelines cut-off to June 30

VIJAYAWADA: The state government has instructed municipal commissioners and urban development authority vice-chairpersons to address all outstanding applications under the Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS). In light of the cabinet’s recent endorsement of the proposal, the municipal administration department has disseminated comprehensive guidelines for the implementation of the LRS regulations. This initiative is expected to benefit plot owners in unauthorized layouts covering approximately 18,000 acres statewide. As per reports, the Director of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) provided the state government with data indicating that around 14,535 unauthorized layouts, spanning nearly 78,452 acres, were recorded in the UCIMS app by Urban…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Andhra Pradesh to Reintroduce BPS & LRS to Curb Illegal Builds

Representative image created by AI VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government plans to reintroduce the Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS) and Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS) aimed at regulating illegal structures and layouts across the state. These schemes were in effect during the TDP administration from 2014 to 2019. In response to the rising number of constructions lacking necessary permissions, the government aims to relaunch these initiatives to also boost state revenues. The cabinet is anticipated to review the proposal in their upcoming meeting. The municipal administration and urban development department is preparing a strategy to address the issue of illegal structures and…

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Land registration freeze over ‘tampered’ records in AP

Representative image created by AI VIJAYAWADA: The state government appears to be at a standstill regarding the contentious issue of free-hold lands. Registration for approximately 20 lakh acres of assigned lands has been halted due to suspicions of record tampering. Despite conducting village-level revenue meetings to review land records, the government has failed to address the free-hold lands issue over the past year. Hundreds of thousands of farmers are struggling to sell their lands while the government delays in lifting the ban on registrations for lands marked in the prohibitory lands register. A Group of Ministers (GoM) has been appointed…

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Andhra Pradesh Introduces Self-Certification for Building Permits

VIJAYAWADA: In a significant initiative to streamline business operations and spur real estate development, the state government has announced updated guidelines for the Self-Certification Scheme (SCS) 2025 concerning building permits. The new framework is part of the state’s broader vision to simplify the building approval process while promoting a transparent and inclusive approach to urban development. It aims to empower both citizens and licensed technical personnel (LTPs) through a trust-based approval system, representing a shift towards responsible self-governance instead of stringent regulation. S Suresh Kumar, the principal secretary for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD), issued a government order on…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Andhra Pradesh Issues Guidelines for Land Pooling Scheme II

AI-generated Representative Image VIJAYAWADA: In a bold initiative, the state government is set to acquire an additional 40,000 to 45,000 acres for the construction of the capital city by introducing the guidelines for Land Pooling Scheme-II (LPS). Prior consultations have been held in Tadikonda and Pedakurapadu constituencies to facilitate the implementation of LPS-II, laying the foundation for an official launch. The government is also exploring options for acquiring further land to establish an international airport, a sports city, and smart industrial zones. Despite concerns from farmers who previously ceded their land in the first phase of LPS around a decade…

Latest StoriesRera

Andhra Pradesh RERA Advises Against Unregistered Flats, Plots

VIJAYAWADA: S Suresh Kumar, the in-charge chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (APRERA) and principal secretary of municipal administration, has issued a warning to the public regarding the purchase of flats in unregistered apartments or plots. He emphasized that such transactions could lead to significant issues for buyers. “We’ve observed that certain developers and builders are soliciting advance payments from potential buyers under the false pretense of ‘pre-launch’ activities for projects that lack APRERA registration. Additionally, some real estate agents are promoting these unregistered pre-launch projects. According to Section 3 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development)…