Amalapuram Urban Development Authority expands jurisdiction to 272 villages across two districts

The Amalapuram Urban Development Authority now governs 272 revenue villages across nearly double its original footprint following a government order that brought Ramachandrapuram municipality and five additional mandals into its planning remit.

The Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department issued GO No. 203 expanding AMUDA's jurisdiction from 896 square kilometres to 1,765 square kilometres in Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema District. The newly included mandals are Ravulapalem, Atreyapuram, Alamuru, K. Gangavaram, and Ramachandrapuram.

From two urban bodies to three

AMUDA Chairman Allada Swamy Naidu confirmed that Ramachandrapuram Municipality and the five mandals are now part of the authority. The urban development body was originally constituted in March 2023 with jurisdiction over 120 revenue villages and two urban local bodies, Amalapuram Municipality and Mummudivaram, serving a combined population of 7.09 lakh with headquarters in Amalapuram.

The expansion adds 152 revenue villages to AMUDA's planning portfolio, bringing the total to 272. The inclusion of Ramachandrapuram municipality marks the third urban local body under the authority's oversight.

Urban development authorities in Andhra Pradesh typically coordinate land use, infrastructure planning, and zoning across municipalities and surrounding rural areas to manage growth corridors and prevent haphazard urbanisation [contextual explanation supported by S1, S2 describing AMUDA's structure]. The near-doubling of AMUDA's territorial scope suggests the state government anticipates development pressure extending beyond Amalapuram town into the broader Konaseema region.

Source: The Hindu