AP 3-capitals Bill put off till April

Blow to Jagan’s plan to move capital to Vizag soon

Vijayawada: AP Legislative Council chairman M.A. Shareef on Wednesday referred to the select committee the Bills on three capitals and the repeal of AP Capital Region Development Authority. The committee will have at least three months to make its recommendations after which only the legislative procedure for three capitals will resume.

AP Legislative Council chairman M.A. Shareef on Wednesday referred to a select committee the controversial Bills on three capitals and the repeal of AP Capital Region Development Authority.

The move is a blow to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s plans to move the administrative capital to Visakhapatnam at the earliest. The select committee will have at least three months to make its recommendations after which only the legislative procedure for three capitals will resume.

Mr Shareef, a staunch loyalist of TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, announced that he was using his discretionary powers to refer the Bills to the select committee. He also declared that the proposal moved by the TD seeking that the Bills be referred to the select committee was not in strict accordance with the Rules of AP Legislative Council.

“As per rules, these Bills cannot be referred to the select committee,” he said much to the delight of ruling party members, but he immediately announced that he would refer it to the select committee using his discretionary powers.

In his soliloquy delivered in the House which heard him with rapt attention, he explained the dichotomy he experienced during the past two days. “There are some tense moments,” he said and added that the government had extended its support to him to run the business in special conditions.