Capital concern for Andhra Pradesh as expert panel against focus on one city
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government is staring at an uphill task of developing a capital city for the state with an expert committee suggesting that the main government and other institutions be distributed across three different regions instead of the capital being established at any particular place.
Development of a capital city has become an emotional issue of sorts in Seemandhra as the region was first separated from the composite Madras state (after Independence) and, now, post the formation of the separate Telangana state, Andhra Pradesh has been rendered without a capital of its own.
The ruling TDP has promised to build a capital city of world class standards, which would be accessible from all the regions of the state.
The report of the Centre-appointed committee, headed by former Union Urban Development Secretary KC Sivaramakrishnan, was submitted to the Union Home Ministry a couple of days back and made public last night.
The committee was appointed on March 28 this year (at the time of the formation of separate Telangana) and had been asked to submit its report by today. The report is expected to be discussed soon by the state Cabinet.
Media reports, meanwhile, claimed that the report has disappointed the TDP government as it had favoured the Vijayawada region for being developed as the AP capital. The decision in this regard is to be made by the state government.
The committee took note of the speculation that the capital could come up in the Vijayawada region because of its centrality. It, however, found no merit in the argument of centrality.
"That is mainly due to the common perception that the area is geographically central, lying between the Uttarandhra (north Andhra) coast and Rayalaseema, and well-connected.
"This connectivity, centrality and proximity are attractive concepts, but need not be the only ones for guiding development. In other states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra or West Bengal this geographical centrality does not exist," the report said.
