Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy informed Home Minister Amit Shah about the State government’s decision to have three capital cities as part of its commitment to ensure balanced development of all regions during their meeting in New Delhi on Thursday night.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the government had even passed the enabling legislation named AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act in the Assembly for shaping up Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Kurnool as the Executive, Legislative and Judicial capitals respectively.
He requested Mr. Shah to issue a re-notification for shifting the High Court to Kurnool while pointing out that the BJP favoured the establishment of the principal seat of the High Court in Rayalaseema.
Special status
Further, the Chief Minister reiterated the State’s demand for the Special Category Status (SCS) by insisting that it was essential for the State to recover from the blow that was dealt by the bifurcation of the unified State of Andhra Pradesh. By giving SCS, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said, the Central government could give more grants to the State and it would facilitate the much-needed industrial development.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy requested Mr. Shah to give the necessary clearances for 13 new medical colleges being set up in the State and to take the initiative for the release of ₹3,229 crore due to the State Civil Supplies Corporation and ₹4,652 crore which is to be paid to the State under MGNREGS. He further requested the Home Minister to ensure payment of ₹5,540 crore by the Telangana DISCOMs to AP-Genco towards the power supplied to them, and to restructure the debt amounting to about ₹50,000 crore in which the AP power utilities are mired.
