Bill to create three capitals tabled in Andhra assembly
HYDERABAD :The Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government on Monday introduced a Bill in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly to create three capitals in the state, with the executive capital in Visakhapatnam, Legislative capital in Amaravati and judicial capital in Kurnool.
The bill, Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020, was introduced by state finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy in the state assembly, which met for a three-day special session in Amaravati on Monday.
A second bill, the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Repeal Bill, 2020, which seeks to abolish the APCRDA which was formed in December 2014 to oversee the development of Amaravati as the capital city, was also introduced in the assembly by municipal administration minister Botsa Satyanarayana.
As the ruling YSR Congress Party enjoys a majority with 151 MLAs in the 175-member state assembly, both bills are expected to be passed after a prolonged debate later in the night.
The government has proposed creation of three seats of governance or capitals for the state: Amaravati Metropolitan Region Development Area to be called the Legislative Capital; Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Area Executive Capital; and Kurnool Urban Development Area the Judicial Capital. While the state legislature would be at Amaravati, the Raj Bhavan, the Secretariat and Offices of the Heads of the Departments of government would be located at Visakhapatnam and Kurnool would be the seat of all state judicial institutions, including the high court.
The finance minister said the government could, if required, locate any institution or department(s) of the government in any of the three capitals under special circumstances.
While presenting the bill, the minister alleged that the previous TDP government led by N Chandrababu Naidu had not followed the recommendations of the KS Sivaramakrishnan committee which was appointed by the Centre to choose a capital city following the bifurcation of the state in 2014. “Instead, he had selected Amaravati to benefit only his family members and his party leaders and select individuals by indulging in insider trading...” He said the new authority Amaravati Metropolitan Region Development Authority in place of APCRDA would honour all the commitments made by the CRDA including allotment of developed plots to farmers and its financial committees.
The legislation was tabled in the assembly on a day that protests against it rocked the Amaravati region, with hundreds farmers and women defying prohibitory orders and breaking security cordon, trying to reach the Legislature complex. The police resorted to lathicharge to quell the crowd. Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu led TDP MLAs on a foot march a few meters from the main entrance gate into the assembly. However, the TDP could not organise the Assembly siege programme as planned due to deployment of a strong posse of police force.
C Vijaya Rao , Guntur Rural SP told news agency PTI that two constables sustained head injuries while four others suffered other wounds when protestors pelted stones at them. Over 75 women were taken into preventive custody while cases were being registered against those involved in the attack on police personnel and violation of prohibitory orders , the SP said.
PROTESTS HIT AMARAVATI AS HUNDREDS DEFY PROHIBITORY ORDERS, BREAK SECURITY CORDON