Andhra Pradesh natives express their views on Amaravati

Subramanyan Raju, from Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh:

“I am very excited about the new capital Amaravati. It augurs well for the state. We now have an opportunity to build a world-class city. This is a new beginning for us and we can set an example for all of India by building a model city, similar to Chandigarh in Punjab and Haryana. I think Amaravati will be a similar example for south India.

“I believe the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, is a visionary and I have faith in his ability to turn the aspirations and dreams people into a reality.

“Though I don’t agree with the separation (of Andhra Pradesh), now that it is done, we have to create a new future that will be prosperous for everyone.”

Uma Pady, Tamil speaking who helps people from Andhra Pradesh

“I hope the central government will keep its promises for Amaravati. It’s too early to talk about what will happen but basically, it’s a good move. I support it. The promised development will take years, if not decades — provided the support follows through from the central government.”

Narasimha Rao Peddada, from West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh

“Amaravati has the potential to become one of the best cities in the world. When something comes up from scratch, a lot of planning can go into it. I’m foreseeing a lot of business and development opportunities for Amaravati. With the right minds [building it], it’ll become a smart city.

[However], realising the vision for the new capital involves cooperation at both the centre and state levels, and between people from all walks of life.”

Ravi Tipparaju, from Hyderabad

“My feelings are beyond expression and I am eagerly looking forward to the creation of this new city. We have only read about building of new cities in history books, this is my chance to witness history being made as it is rare that you come across an experience where a capital city is built from nothing.

“I feel proud about this movement where people are taking part in the process of building the city by donating land and bricks and contributing in many other ways. Chandrababu Naidu, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh is a visionary and he has the zeal to create new things, as we saw how he turned Hyderabad into an IT hub. People’s expectations are very high and we believe he is going to create something unique and historic.”