The act meant to establish three capitals for Andhra Pradesh has been withdrawn by the state government. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan made the surprise announcement in the assembly session on November 22.
The government did not reinstate Amaravati as the sole capital for Andhra Pradesh either.
What did CM Jagan say?
Chief Minister Jagan first sought to explain why his government had taken the earlier decision to decentralize the capital.
He said that even as per the calculations of the former TDP’s government, the development of the most basic infrastructure in the region would cost 2 Crores per acre of land. Multiplied with the 50,000 acres of the region, it would cost 1 Lakh Crores, he said. Given that the costs would only escalate as time went on, he wondered if it was possible to bring in that kind of money.
The government chose Visakhapatnam as executive capital because it is already the largest city in the state requiring only a little investment, the CM said.
Kurnool was the state capital from 1953 to 1956, pointed out the Chief Minister, saying that the city too has had ambitions for decades.
The government intended to decentralize the development, but it has been projected differently, creating misconceptions, said Mr. Jagan, adding that the government will bring a complete, comprehensive, and better bill to the assembly. The new bill will answer all the legal questions, he said.
Why the sudden announcement?
The YSRCP government intended Amaravati as the administrative capital, Kurnool as the legislative capital, and Visakhapatnam as the executive capital, bringing in the ‘Andhra Pradesh Decentralization and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act 2020’ and ‘Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development (Repeal) Act 2020.’
Farmers from the former Amaravati capital region have been protesting for nearly two years now, challenging the government’s decision to establish three capitals instead of one. They contend that they had given up their lands so that the region would develop as the state capital.
All the major opposition parties have extended their support to the agitation led by farmers.
The state government also faces multiple challenges in the High Court.
CM Jagan seems to have decided that a temporary withdrawal of the act and a total revamp is better than the current act being quashed in the Court.
The decision comes soon after the Prime Minister repealed the contentious Farm Laws.
What next?
The protesting farmers from Amaravati are left with no particular reason to rejoice.
The state government would bring in a comprehensive bill, said Mr. Jagan.
Meanwhile, the lack of clarity will cost the state, charged former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.