What is land pooling used to to revive Amaravati Development?

In a renewed push to transform Amaravati into a mega city, the Andhra Pradesh government is planning to pool an additional 30,000 acres of land from 11 villages bordering the core capital area. This initiative, part of the broader Land Pooling Scheme (LPS), aims to secure land through voluntary participation by farmers, avoiding forced acquisition.

The move comes as Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu seeks to revive his flagship capital project, which had stalled since 2019. The new round of land pooling is in addition to land already acquired for the proposed inner ring road, outer ring road, and railway corridors near Amaravati.

Also Read: Chandrababu Naidu keen on building Amaravati as a capital city for Andhra Pradesh; Project expected to cost Rs 51,867 crore 

The government has identified 44,673 acres across the 11 villages, out of which 30,000 acres are expected to be pooled. These villages lie outside the original 29 that formed the Amaravati core capital region. In earlier phases, officials engaged directly with landowners, even visiting their homes to gain trust and support.

Land pooling refers to a model where landowners voluntarily submit their land to the government for development. After infrastructure is built, a portion of the developed land is returned to the original owners, usually in a planned and serviced form, proportional to their initial contribution. The model is seen as a more equitable alternative to outright acquisition, offering both development and compensation.

Amaravati, spread over 217 sq. km, was first conceptualized in 2015.