G.N. Rao panel recommends ‘three capitals’ for State

Report reflects the views of stakeholders, says its chief

G. N. Rao, who headed the experts’ pPanel on capital and urban development, addressing a press conference at Secretariat at Velagapudi on Friday.

The expert committee on development strategies for Andhra Pradesh led by retired IAS officer G. Nageswara Rao recommended that the Secretariat, the Chief Minister’s camp office, summer Assembly and a High Court (HC) Bench be set up in the Visakhapatnam metropolitan region, the State legislature, HC Bench and the Governor and Ministers’ quarters in the ‘Amaravati-Mangalagiri complex’ and the HC and allied courts in Kurnool as per the Sribagh Pact.

Besides, the committee made the recommendation that iconic buildings that would have an everlasting impact could be built in the upland area in the vicinity of Acharya Nagarjuna University and A.P. Special Police 6th battalion at Mangalagiri and infrastructure developed in the existing capital region which were not vulnerable to floods.

4 commissionerates

Another significant recommendation is setting up four commissionerates comprising Visakhapatnam-Srikakulam-Vizianagaram (north coastal), East Godavari-West Godavari-Krishna (central coastal), Guntur-Prakasam-Nellore (south coastal) and Anantapur-Chittoor-Kadapa-Kurnool (Rayalaseema) regions for the sake of administrative convenience on the lines of the pattern followed in Karnataka.

Addressing media persons after submitting the report to the CM here on Friday, Mr. Rao said what the panel had given to the government was a summary of the ‘capital functions’ on the basis of the present requirements of the State and they had gathered the opinion of the people, elected representatives and other stakeholders during their visits to the districts.

Since sizeable investments had already been made in Amaravati, the committee suggested necessary development be carried out and existing buildings be used by departments.

The expert panel has basically looked at the regional disparities to be removed and the importance of decentralised administration for achieving development of all the regions, Mr. Rao said, adding that about 35,000 representations were received and he personally spoke to over 2,000 farmers.

The committee comprises Prof. Mahavir of the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, Anjali Mohan, urban and regional planner, Sivananda Swamy from the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad, K.T. Ravindran, retired professor of the Delhi School of Architecture and K.V. Arunachalam, retired chief urban planner from Chennai.