Vijayawada: In a major boost to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s three capitals plan, the Centre has categorically announced that it is for each state to decide on (locating) its capital.
The Centre apparently sought to distance itself from the ongoing controversy on the capital relocation and refused to “advice” the state against shifting the capital from Amaravati.
In reply to a question asked by Guntur MP Galla Jayadev in Lok Sabha, minister of state for home Nityanand Rai said media reports had appeared indicating the state government’s decision to create three capitals for Andhra Pradesh. “It is for each state to decide its own capital within its territory,” he said. The minister said, the state government had notified Amaravati as capital city vide its orders on April 23, 2015.
The MHA, however, did not react to the TD members question on whether Centre would advice state government not to resort to creation of three capitals which Mr Jayadev said would not only vitiate the investment climate but also result in great loss to thousands of farmers who gave their land for construction of new capital Amaravati.
The Centre’s stand, which has constantly been articulated by BJP MP G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, came at a time when the state government’s decision was caught in judicial and legislative tangles. The High Court, which took up cases opposing the shifting of some offices to Kurnool, deferred a decision to Wednesday. The logjam over the Legislative Council sending the capitals Bills to a select committee is still on with the YSR Congress deciding not to recommend any names to the select committee.
The ruling party was in an upbeat mood following the Centre’s announcement which was the first ever since the controversy erupted in December last. The Chief Minister asked the partymen to hold mass people contact programmes in the form of rallies, human chain and meetings to explain people on the benefits of decentralisation of power and development.
The Telugu Desam, Jana Sena and a section of BJP leaders from the state have been assuring the agitating pro-Amaravati farmers that the Centre would never allow the shifting of the capital from Amaravati. Leading this pack is former Union minister “Sujana” Chowdary who time and again announced that central leadership of the BJP was against the Chief Minister’s decision.
Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan built his theory on the grounds that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid foundation stone for the capital and the BJP hence opposes its relocation “We believe that Amaravati will remain the capital of Andhra Pradesh,” Jana Sena political affairs committee chairman Nadendla Manohar told Deccan Chronicle. He said the Jana Sena brought the farmers’ plight to the notice of the BJP central leadership and convinced it to fight together till farmers get justice.
