CM's '3 capitals for Andhra Pradesh' plan may not fructify

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's "three capitals for Andhra Pradesh" idea may not fructify as it could face a major legislative hurdle in the Council, where the ruling YSR Congress is in a minority. Going by the turn of events and the procedural formalities involved, authoritative sources aver, a clear picture on the states capital could emerge only after a few more months, in the event the Chief Minister sticks to his South African model.

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Opposition thwarts three capital plan for Andhra Pradesh

The state government needs to enact a fresh law or amend the AP Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014, to notify a new capital. The YSRC has a brute majority of 151 members in the 175- member Legislative Assembly but is woefully short of numbers, with just nine, in the 58-member Legislative Council. The principal opposition Telugu Desam Party,which is in a majority in the Council with 26 members, could play spoilsport and thwart the governments plans to have "capitals" in three different locations, the sources pointed out. On December 17, the Chief Minister hinted in the Assembly that the state could have three capitals Executive Capital in Visakhapatnam, Legislative Capital in Amaravati and Judiciary Capital in Kurnool.

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The Chief Ministers statement triggered widespread protests, particularly in the central coastal region of the state. Farmers who gave up their lands (over 33,000 acres) in Amaravati region for the capital development are on an agitation path, demanding that the proposed move be dropped. The TDP, which drew the plans for Amaravati, has vehemently opposed the thought to have three capitals at different locations. Other parties too called the Chief Ministers idea imprudent, saying decentralization should be in terms of development (of all the three regions of the state) and not in terms of administration.

Interestingly, some MLAs of the YSRC too started speaking against the Chief Ministers idea, saying the Legislature and the Secretariat should be in only one place.

"Vizag could be made the Financial Capital but the administrative capital should continue in Amaravati, the YSRC legislators said.

The government, though, maintains that a final decision on the capitals has not yet been taken and what the Chief Minister spoke was "just an idea".

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