Skyscrapers To Dot AP Skyline; Special Cell To Clear Applications In 72 Hrs

Amaravati/Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam and Amaravati, the most talked about cities in Andhra Pradesh are set to witness a vertical growth with skyscrapers dotting the skyline.

To give a boost to the new phenomena, the State Government announced establishing a special cell to give clearances for construction of skyrise buildings in a record 72 hours on Tuesday. While Amaravati, the greenfield capital of Andhra Pradesh is being developed in an area of 34,000 acres with projects worth Rs.1 lakh crore in the pipeline to make the first phase operational in next three years, Visakhapatnam has a robust industrial infrastructure with good connectivity and emerging as one of the fastest growing cities in India with a GDP of $43.5 billion.

At present, the tallest building in the State is the Oxygen Towers in Visakhapatnam which has 35 floors. Varun Hospitality has just started construction of twin towers for hosting a five star hotel and studio apartments with sea view and 34 floors. The Navy has also started building 41-stories quarters for sailors. A 50-floor twin condominium residential tower is being undertaken in Madhurawada.

Credai Andhra Pradesh chapter president Bayana Srinivasa Rao welcomed the government decision to give approvals in 72 hours and said this will encourage several builders to take up construction of skyscrapers for residential and commercial purposes mainly in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada-Guntur-Amaravati capital region. He told Bizz Buzz that this will give a big boost to the construction industry.

According to CRDA officials, Amaravati will turn into another Putrajaya with several iconic towers under construction. The administrative building will have 47 floors with 17.03 lakh sfthe Assembly building will come up in an area of 103 acres with height of 250 meters and total area of 11.22 lakh sft. Five iconic towers will come up covering 68.88 lakh sft at a cost of Rs4,699 crore. To develop the international airport, sports city and develop the outer ring road and inner ring road, the government is contemplating acquiring another 30,000 acres under Land Pooling Scheme (LPS). The government said to promote rapid urban development and create an industry-friendly ecosystem, they have constituted a dedicated special cell under the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) for fast-track clearance of development permissions for high-rise buildings with 12 floors and above (including TDR floors). The cell is mandated to process and approve applications within a Service Level Agreement (SLA) period of 72 hours.

This decision follows detailed deliberations at the government level, where it was recognized that large-scale high-rise projects are key drivers of urban growth and can catalyze the development of surrounding areas. However, the government also noted

persistent delays in the approval of such projects at the level of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Urban Development Authorities (UDAs), which have been acting as bottlenecks to progress.

To address these challenges and facilitate a seamless approval process, the Director of Town and Country Planning was instructed to submit a comprehensive proposal for setting up the special cell. Following submission and review, the government has formally directed the establishment of the cell at the Office of the DTCP, empowering the Director to issue necessary approvals within the stipulated 72-hour timeframe.

“This initiative reflects our commitment to creating an industry-friendly environment and ensuring ease of doing business in the State. It will significantly reduce approval timelines and promote hassle-free development for citizens and builders alike,” said Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, in a communique.