Amaravati Project Construction Sparks New Allegations of Irregularities
Unidentified individuals have lodged a complaint with the World Bank Inspection Panel, alleging illegal land acquisition and threats to farmers during Amaravati’s construction. Claims of social, environmental, and economic violations have surfaced once again.
Efforts to construct Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, have faced renewed challenges as anonymous parties filed a complaint with the World Bank Inspection Panel on December 18. The complaint alleges that the land acquisition process for the capital’s development violated legal norms and involved coercion and intimidation of farmers to obtain their consent.
The complaint further claims that the affected local communities have lost their livelihoods, threatening their food security. It also raises concerns about environmental and social inequality, stating that meaningful discussions with the farmers were not conducted and that the details were kept confidential. Additionally, the complainants accuse authorities of paying extremely low wages to construction workers from other regions.
Historical Context
Similar allegations were raised between 2014 and 2019 during the tenure of former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. At the time, several letters were sent to international funding agencies, including the World Bank, attempting to block financial aid for Amaravati’s development. Upon investigating those complaints, the World Bank Inspection Panel concluded that the accusations were baseless.
However, in 2019, the newly-elected YSRCP government led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy decided to reject World Bank loans for the project. With the recent return of a coalition government and renewed progress in Amaravati’s construction, the same forces appear to have resurfaced, according to sources.
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