Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has brushed off critics of the Amaravati project, claiming that "jealousy" is the only thing driving those who want to see the greenfield capital fail. Speaking at a college event in Vijayawada on Saturday, Naidu insisted that the city’s momentum is now "unstoppable" and that the final result will be a world-class urban centre that earns international acclaim.
The Chief Minister’s comments were a pointed response to his predecessor, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who recently attacked the project by arguing that building a capital in a river basin was a recipe for disaster. Naidu didn't mince his words, mockingly asking Reddy if he had noticed that cities like London, Delhi, and even nearby Rajahmundry were also built near water. "Civilisations have always bloomed where there is water," Naidu remarked, dismissing the YSRCP leader's concerns as "ignorant politics."
Beyond the brick-and-mortar construction, Naidu teased some high-tech ambitions for the new capital. He announced that a quantum computer would be operational in Amaravati within the next six months, making the state one of the first to jump on the Centre’s national quantum mission. He also mentioned that courses are already being rolled out to train students and professionals in quantum algorithms, part of his plan to turn the Vijayawada-Guntur-Amaravati corridor into a premier "liveable city."
However, the opposition isn't backing down. Senior YSRCP leader S Ramakrishna Reddy hit back with a stinging press release, accusing the government of ignoring the "distress" of local farmers. He claimed that despite pooling 50,000 acres in the first phase, basic infrastructure like roads and connectivity remains non-existent. The YSRCP also alleged that many of the plots returned to farmers were in low-lying tanks or marshes, rendering them worthless.
"Who would buy such a plot?" Ramakrishna Reddy asked, further accusing Naidu of overseeing the "mother of all scams." The opposition claims the government has borrowed over £4 billion (₹40,000 crore) in Amaravati’s name without spending it on priority works, instead focusing on an "oversised" secretariat with "inflated" construction costs. While Naidu paints a picture of a futuristic tech hub, the YSRCP maintains that the project has become little more than a hub for commission-driven contracts.
Also read: Naidu seeks statutory protection to cement Amaravati as capital
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