Published 13:19 IST, December 19th 2019
Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy’s three capitals idea triggers farmers' protests
Farmers in Andra Pradesh staged a protest on Thursday against Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's idea of having three capitals for the state.
Farmers in Andra Pradesh held a protest on Thursday against Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's idea of having three capitals for the state. The state's Chief Minister said that the state could have three separate capitals — legislative, executive and judicial.
Farmers hold protests
The protesting farmers said they donated thousands of acres of fertile land for Amaravati hoping that their future generations will reap benefits of the capital. But now the government's hint of shifting the Secretariat and the High Court have created doubts on the future of Amaravati. He should immediately withdraw his statement and resume construction works in the capital, they said.
The farmers had staged a protest on Wednesday as well. Farmers held a sit-in protest on the roads of Venkatayapalem. In Tullur, the protesters sat on the road with pesticide tins in their hands. They demanded that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister should take back his remarks.
This comes only a few days after another minister had indicated that the State was likely to have three capitals. On December 17, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday indicated that the state could have three capitals as decentralization was a real concept. "We may have three different capitals. They are required. We have to think on those lines seriously," he had said.
The discussion around a shift in the capital intensified the day when Jagan Mohan Reddy took over as the state's Chief Minister and ordered all infrastructure work to stop, thus leading to speculation that the capital might be shifted.
In September, the government constituted an expert committee headed by retired IAS officer G Nageswara Rao to determine the scope and shape of the capital, among other things. A series of statements by several ministers on Amaravati only confounded the confusion, triggering protests from opposition parties and other sections, who demanded that the state capital city not be changed. The Municipal Minister, however, maintained that a decision on the capital would be taken only after the expert committee submitted its report. Sources said the committee is expected to submit its report on December 22 or 23.
Updated 14:55 IST, December 19th 2019