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Budget session starts, Guv avoids three capitals issue
For the last few days, the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues have been making statements about shifting the administrative capital of the state from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam, while making Kurnool as the judicial capital and retaining Amaravati as the legislative capital.
The Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday avoided mentioning of its decision to form three capitals for the state in the first address during the commencement of the state budget session on Tuesday.
Governor S Abdul Nazir addressed the joint meeting of the state legislature on Tuesday.
For the last few days, the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues have been making statements about shifting the administrative capital of the state from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam, while making Kurnool as the judicial capital and retaining Amaravati as the legislative capital.
At the recently concluded Global Investors’ Summit (GIS), Jagan openly announced that Visakhapatnam would soon become the capital of Andhra Pradesh and he, too, would be moving to the port city in a few days.
“By next academic year, the state administration would be operating from Visakhapatnam. The chief minister will also be moving his camp office there by then,” state industries minister Gudivada Amarnath, who hails from Viskahapatnam, said.
Against the backdrop of the development, it was expected that the governor, in his speech to the joint meeting of the state assembly, too, would make a statement on the formation of three capitals or at least decentralization of administration, as was being done during the budget sessions for the last three years.
However, the governor did not make any mention of the same but confined himself to highlighting the achievements of the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in the last four years.
Nazir said the state has taken a step forward in economic development and is making remarkable progress in the agricultural, industrial, and service sectors.
“The government is acting transparently. It also gives priority to its welfare schemes. All the deserving people are benefiting directly without corruption. They have been providing good governance for four years,” he said.
He also noted that government schemes are being delivered to the doorstep of all eligible beneficiaries. “We are making remarkable progress and have achieved a growth rate of 11.43% and the state is leading in economic development,” the governor added.
Underlining the government’s social justice initiatives, Nazir said his government had set up 56 new corporations for the upliftment of OBCs, three for SCs and one for STs. “Four deputy CM posts and 70% of ZP chairman posts have been given to SC, ST, BC, and minorities. Out of 137 corporation chairman posts, 58% posts have been given to SC, ST, BC, and minorities,” he claimed.
Reacting to the development, opposition Telugu Desam Party lawmaker and public accounts committee chairman Payyavula Kesav wondered why the governor had not made any mention of the three capitals issue.
“While the chief ministers and his cabinet colleagues openly made statements on making Visakhapatnam as the capital city, why was it not mentioned in the governor’s address?” Kesav asked.
He alleged that the government had forced the governor to indulge in blatant lies on the welfare and development. “The speech had no mention of the miserable law and order situation in the state,” he criticized.
Budget session till March 24
Meanwhile, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the state legislature which met soon after the adjournment of the House following the governor’s speech, decided to hold the session till March 24.
While there would be discussion on the Motion of Thanks for the governor’s address on Wednesday, the budget would be presented on Thursday. The House would pass the Appropriation Bill on March 24, before being adjourned sine die.
