Absence of Amaravati on new map stirs row

PM himself laid the foundation for the capital...all the official correspondence with Andhra acknowledges Amaravati as the capital

HYDERABAD: The omission of Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh’s capital from India’s map released on Saturday to depict the newly-created Union Territories (UTS)— Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh— has triggered a war of words between the state’s ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

TDP spokesman Varla Ramaiah said that the omission clearly shows that chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy’s government has decided to relocate the capital city from Amaravati. He added that they suspect that Jaganmohan Reddy has indicated to the Centre his plans. “That could be the rea

ALLA RAMAKRISHNA REDDY, YSRCP MLA

son why Amaravati was not mentioned in the revised map,” said Ramaiah.

YSRCP lawmaker Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, who represents Mangalagiri constituency in Amaravati, said that it was unfortunate that Andhra Pradesh has figured on the map without any capital city and blamed the previous N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP government for it.

Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh’s capital was Naidu’s brainchild and dream project. Jaganmohan Reddy, who replaced him as chief minister in May, has said that the city’s development would not be his priority. He demolished ~9-crore conference hall Naidu had built in Amaravati when he took office. Jaganmohan Reddy has called the land acquisition for the new capital a scam and cut funds for its development.

The Union home ministry released the map as the bifurcation of the erstwhile J&K state into the two UTS came into effect on October 31. The map mentions the capital cities of all the states except Andhra Pradesh. It shows

Hyderabad as the joint capital of Telangana as well as Andhra Pradesh.

Hyderabad was declared as the joint capital when Telangana was carved out as per the Andhra Pradesh Bifurcation Act, 2014. In December 2014, Andhra Pradesh declared Amaravati as the state capital six months after Telangana came into being in June that year.

The TDP has maintained the gazette notification is just a technical issue. “…the Prime Minister himself laid the foundation stone for the capital. For the last five years, all the official correspondence from the centre and other states with Andhra Pradesh clearly acknowledges Amaravati as the capital,” Ramaiah said.