Attempts to Hinder Amaravati: Complaint to the World Bank!

The construction of Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, has once again become a focal point of controversy. An anonymous complaint was recently submitted to the World Bank Inspection Panel on December 18, alleging irregularities in the land acquisition process for the capital city’s development. The complaint claims that land acquisition was carried out unlawfully, with farmers being coerced and intimidated into signing agreements.

The complainants further allege that the livelihoods of local residents have been adversely affected, threatening food security in the region. They also raised concerns about environmental, social, and economic inequalities arising from the project. According to the complaint, meaningful consultations with farmers were not conducted, and critical information was kept confidential. Additionally, it was alleged that construction workers from other regions were being paid extremely low wages.

Similar allegations were made during the tenure of N. Chandrababu Naidu between 2014 and 2019, when letters were sent to deter international funding for Amaravati's development. The World Bank’s Inspection Panel investigated those claims and concluded that the allegations were unfounded. However, after the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party came to power in 2019, the state government rejected World Bank funding for the project.

With the new coalition government moving forward rapidly on Amaravati's construction, observers suggest that the recent complaint may be a resurgence of efforts to obstruct the project.