Andhra Pradesh Minister for Industries and IT Gudivada Amarnath has said that the State government will start functioning from Visakhapatnam city from April 2023.
Welcoming the observations made by the Supreme Court on the three-capital issue, Mr. Amarnath told the media on November 28 (Monday) that it vindicated the stand of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government on decentralisation.
The Supreme Court has stayed the order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court directing the government and the APCRDA to complete the process of development and provide infrastructure in Amaravati capital city within six months and on four other issues.
The apex court also wondered whether the High Court was a ‘town planner’ and opined that it had exceeded its brief. The Supreme Court said that it would examine the legal issues involved in the case on January 31, 2023.
Mr. Amarnath said that the State government had filed a Special Leave Petition (SPL) in the Supreme Court challenging the judgment of the High Court on the three-capital issue. “The TDP and its cronies must stop their campaign against the decentralisation move by the government at least now. The pain of bifurcation and the loss of Hyderabad city are still fresh in the memory of the people. The same mistake should not be repeated by concentrating all development at one place,” said the Minister.
The YSRCP government, he said, was not against development of Amaravati, but decentralisation was necessary to ensure development of the three regions in the State. He alleged that the former Chief Minister and TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu was insisting on Amaravati being made the sole capital to promote their real estate interests. The Amaravati padayatra was withdrawn after the government insisted on identity cards for the farmers.
“The TDP’s defeat in the capital region in the last elections, the subsequent local body polls and the Guntur Municipal elections indicate that the people oppose to the concentration of development at one place. The previous TDP government had neglected the development of Vijayawada and Guntur cities,” said Mr. Amarnath.
The Minister appealed to the people to think on the issue and understand that decentralisation was necessary for all-round development of the State.
Replying to queries, he said that the executive capital buildings would be constructed only on the government land in Visakhapatnam. “There are a number of government guest houses and offices, which will help in shifting of the government offices, without delay,” he added.
