Decks have been cleared for the construction of houses for the poor and weaker sections by Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy under Navaratnaalu-Pedalandariki Illu scheme in Amaravati, a world-class capital city dreamt by Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu.
Jagan had earlier proposed this project two years ago, but it was caught in a legal wrangle.
The high court rejected the plan on the ground that the state government cannot change the master plan of Amaravati under the existing AP Capital Region Development Act.
On Wednesday, the state legislative assembly passed a legislation amending AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act, 2014, and the AP Metropolitan Region and Urban Development Authorities (APMRUDA) Act, 2016.
As per the amendment, the state government can take up construction of affordable housing for the poor, including those sanctioned by the Centre, allotting them houses sites in Amaravati capital region.
Any eligible people from any part of the state would be entitled to get affordable housing in Amaravati capital region, and it shall not be restricted to the villages covered by the capital region.
State municipal administration minister Adimulapu Suresh said as per the amendment to the APCRDA Act, the master plan of Amaravati could be modified by on a reference from the local body concerned or a special officer or person in-charge on behalf of a local body of a village, where elections were not held.
“The government can make modifications to the sanctioned perspective plan, master plan and infrastructure plan, or any other plan as it thinks fit and which in its opinion are necessary,” he said.
As per the original act, before making any modifications to the development plans, the APCRDA would publish a notice inviting objections or suggestions from the public giving a time period of 15 days and shall hear all objections and suggestions.
This clause was amended to enable the local body concerned, instead of only public, to give suggestions for the modification of the development plans.
