Amid strong protests by farmers from the region, the Andhra government on Friday decided to delay the implementation of moving the administrative capital of the state from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam.
The state cabinet also decided to constitute a high-power committee to take a comprehensive look into the issues that might arise in implementing the decision.
The cabinet approved the report of the six-member expert committee headed by retired IAS officer G N Rao, which recommended formation of three-capitals – executive capital at Visakhapatnam, legislative capital at Amaravati and judicial capital at Kurnool as part of decentralisation of administration.
Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, state minister for information and public relations Perni Venkatramaiah, alias Nani, said the government had also engaged a private consultancy firm -- Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Report – to work out a comprehensive plan for the formation of three capitals.
“The BCG is expected to submit the report by the first week of January. After that, the state government will constitute a high-power committee to study both the reports and give its recommendations and a final decision will be taken,” he said.
He pointed out that the Sivaramakrishnan committee, constituted by the Centre before the bifurcation of the state in 2014, also recommended decentralization of power and development. “That is why chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has indicated the setting up of the executive capital in Visakhapatnam which has the infrastructure ready for the purpose,” the minister said, adding that it would help the people of backward Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts.
{{/usCountry}}He pointed out that the Sivaramakrishnan committee, constituted by the Centre before the bifurcation of the state in 2014, also recommended decentralization of power and development. “That is why chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has indicated the setting up of the executive capital in Visakhapatnam which has the infrastructure ready for the purpose,” the minister said, adding that it would help the people of backward Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts.
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to the agitation by farmers of Amaravati region, Nani said they should stage dharnas in front of the residence of former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who had pooled in 33,000 acres of land in the region but had not even developed 1,000 acres of land.
“Had Naidu completed the capital construction during his regime, this situation would not have arisen. While he claimed that Rs 1.09 lakh crore was needed for the project earlier, now he is saying that it is a self-financed project,” the minister said.
The cabinet also approved the report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee that probed into the irregularities and insider trading in the capital region. “The committee has found several irregularities and unfair practices during the previous TDP government.
The State will take legal opinion and then refer the matter to either Lokayukta or go for a CBI or CB-CID inquiry,” he said.