Andhra Pradesh government is now badly in need of another design as the Maki associates’ design has become unpopular with the people of the state. Municipal administration minister P Narayana and commissioner CRDA Srikanth are said to have held negotiations with more ‘renowned’ but desi architects to get the new designs for the core capital.

On March 26, 2016 chief minister Chandrababu Naidu announced that Maki &Associates of Japan had been selected to prepare designs for core capital based on the design submitted by the internationally renowned architects.

Satisfied with the design presented by Maki and Associates, Naidu said he was happy the with design as it was in tune with his blue and green concept of Amaravati. He also said a six member jury appointed by state government had also selected the Maki & Associates as architects for the capital city. According to Naidu, three international firms Rogers Stirk Harbor and Partners (UK), Vasthu Shilpa (India) and Maki and Associates (Japan) competed in the design competition. The jury unanimously selected Maki Associates, according to chief minister. In just 48 hour it turned out that the iconic buildings designed by Maki look like the modified versions of Chandigarh design and worse, they looked like cooling towers of a thermal plants.

Now, the government, though officially has not discarded the Maki Associates yet, wants some new design to make a graceful exit from the mess it landed in with regard to Master Plans and designs of Amaravati.

The government is said to have invited six companies and held discussion in a low key affair. According to sources, the companies had been asked to submit the designs a in a month or so. As a saving grace, the government is said to have suggested these new architects to incorporate the positive elements of Maki’s also. Earlier chief minister Naidu also announced that some positive elements from the companies which failed to meet up the requirements of state would be incorporated into the Maki’s design.

Can anybody figure out what is happening in Amaravati- there is no clarity on the Singapore companies, Maki’s has disappointed the state, temporary secretariat cost is going up beyond Rs 1,000 crore and official teams are still on a global hunt for new ideas for capital construction.