The 'My brick - My Amaravati' portal launched by Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu to encourage the public to participate in the construction of the state's capital, has reportedly already received digital bricks worth one crore in donations.
Addressing the media, state minister for agriculture P Pulla Rao said that Saturday alone saw Rs 88 lakh in the form of donations for the capital city.
According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, the state government is also sending an invitation to the Amaravati foundation program along with silver clothes through speed post to farmers of the capital region.
During the media meet, the minister also brushed away allegations by opposition parties that the state was spending Rs 400 crore on the foundation ceremony at a time when it was facing a cash crunch.
We have only sanctioned Rs 9 crore for the programme, he said, while appealing to everyone from the state to contribute to the capital.
Each 'e-brick' costs Rs 10 each, which will go straight to fund the new capital.
The government estimates it needs at least Rs 20,000 crores to build the new capital. But the Centre has so far sanctioned only Rs 1,500 crore, an NDTV report adds.
Naidu has also claimed that farmers have voluntarily given 33,000 acres of land for the new capital under the land pooling scheme, a claim that many activists and the opposition parties have contradicted.