Hyderabad: The Sivaramakrishnan Committee did not recommend a specific place to build the AP capital, but said that a capital built between Vijayawada and Guntur would be a wrong decision because it would cause long-term economic and environmental problems.
Mr Reddy agrees largely with the panel recommendation that the state be deemed as four zones — northern Andhra, central Andhra, coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema — and the government should decentralise and distribute administration across the state.
The Sivaramakrishnan Committee recommended establishing a High Court in Visakhapatnam, a High Court bench at Kurnool or Anantapur, but the CM does not concur to the point, and instead wants to set up the High Court in Rayalaseema. He wants to establish all I-T-related offices and institutions in Visakhapat-nam, all endowments-related offices at the temple city of Tirupati, said sources close to the CM.
Interestingly, some promises in the YSR Congress’s and the BJP’s election manifestos are similar. On the land pooled by the TD government, both the BJP and the YSRC promised to give it back to the farmers.
After winning the elections, Mr Reddy said that he was in principle resolved to return the land to farmers who were unwilling to part with it or which the government does not need any longer.
The BJP had also promised the establishment of the High Court on a permanent basis in Rayalaseema, a point on which the YSRC has a similar view.
Both the parties have also promised the abolition of belt shops and the enforcement of complete prohibition in a phased manner. They also both promised to declare every Lok Sabha constituency as a district for the sake of administrative convenience.
YSRC leaders say that if Mr Reddy takes a decision on decentralisation of administration and locating government offices at different places, there would be no opposition from the Centre. Moreover, YSRC MP V. Vijayasai Reddy’s statement that the CM takes decisions after discussing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah finds a renewed significance.
The proposal of going for a referendum on the capital issue may lead to opening of a Pandora’s box. After municipal minister Botsa Satyanarayana’s statement on the unviability of Amaravati, political leaders are making several demands.
Former Union minister Chinta Mohan has demanded a new capital at Tirupati. Former YSRC MLA S.V. Mohan Reddy wants the capital be located at Kurnool.
