PM reconfirms Amaravati visit despite Indo-Pak tensions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed his commitment to visit Amaravati on May 2, 2025. He will relaunch the long-stalled capital city development works, despite heightened Indo-Pakistan tensions following the recent Pahalgam terror attack.

The announcement comes as Andhra Pradesh’s Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P. Narayana declared that all preparations for the Prime Minister’s visit are nearly complete, ensuring a grand event to mark the revival of the state’s ambitious greenfield capital project.

43,000 crore works

The Prime Minister’s visit, initially confirmed earlier this month, will see him inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for projects worth approximately Rs 43,000 crore, aimed at transforming Amaravati into a world-class capital city.

The event, scheduled behind the State Secretariat at Velagapudi, is expected to draw nearly five lakh attendees, including farmers who contributed 33,000 acres of land for the project through a historic land pooling initiative. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu personally invited Modi during a meeting in New Delhi on April 25.

Minister Narayana, who inspected the event arrangements on April 29 alongside senior officials, confirmed that 90% of the preparations are complete, with the remaining work set to be finalized by April 30.

“We have reviewed the stage, parking areas, and access roads. All arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit are in place to ensure a smooth and historic event,” Narayana stated.

Relaunch

The relaunch marks a significant milestone for Amaravati, which saw its development halt under the YSR Congress Party’s three-capital proposal from 2019 to 2024. Since the TDP-led NDA returned to power in June 2024, Chief Minister Naidu has prioritized reviving the project, securing Rs 15,000 crore from the World Bank and additional funding from the Asian Development Bank and HUDCO. Tenders worth Rs 64,000 crore have been finalized for key infrastructure, including the Secretariat, Assembly, and High Court buildings. Despite the ongoing diplomatic standoff with Pakistan, including India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and border closures, Modi’s decision to proceed with the visit underscores the government’s focus on domestic development.