Hyderabad, Dec. 16 -- The second phase of acquiring over 16,000 acres of land under land pooling system for the expansion of Amaravati, the capital region of Andhra Pradesh is posing a tough challenge for the state government, people familiar with the matter said.

On November 28, the state cabinet approved acquisition of over 16,666.57 acres in seven villages under land pooling system for key capital infrastructure, including the proposed railway station, sports city, airport, smart city, and the inner ring road.

Accordingly, the state government issued a notification on December 2, seeking to undertake land pooling in Vaikunthapuram (3,361 acres); Pedamadduru (1,145 acres); Endroyi (2,166 acres); Karlapudi (2,944 acres); Vaddamanu (1,9...