It’s official: Andhra Pradesh capital in Vijayawada region, announces Chandrababu Naidu

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has formally announced the state’s new capital around the Vijayawada region, adding that this is the most centrally-located area.

Naidu-led TDP has also proposed to 3 mega cities and 14 smart cities to boost development in the region.

Nearly 50 per cent of the representations received by the government favoured the Vijayawada-Guntur region, according to an official statement. The decision was taken after a comprehensive study of prevailing conditions, potential, and economic growth strategies of each district.

Naidu has also promised to improve, air, rail and road connectivity for all districts to position Andhra Pradesh as a logistics hub and revive economy in the state.

The central panel had recommended that the state Assembly, the chief minister’s office and the secretariat be considered in either Marutur, Vinukonda or Donakonda of the Srikalahasti spine. The committee had warned of long-term economic and environmental consequences if the capital was based in the Vijayawada-Guntur region. The report was, however, not binding on the Andhra government.

In his reaction to the chief minister's choice, Sivaramakrishnan Ramakrishnan, who led the panel that formulated the report, said, “It is the chief minister and the government's prerogative to decide its capital. I don't want to enter into any controversies, and I cannot say whether this is a good or a bad decision. I reiterate it is their prerogative to decide the issue more appropriately, whatever my committee felt (on the new capital)." 

Making a statement in the Legislative Assembly amid a din caused by opposition YSR Congress, Naidu said, "The Cabinet met on September 1 and resolved to locate the capital city in a central place of the state, around Vijayawada, and go for decentralised development of the state with three mega cities and 14 smart cities.

"It is proposed to go for land pooling system to be worked out by a Cabinet sub-committee," he said.

Read: Proposed Andhra Pradesh capital area faces earthquake risk

Before Naidu made a statement on the issue, adamant MLAs of YSR Congress stalled the proceedings demanding that the House first discuss the Sivaramakrishnan Committee report on location of new state capital.

The House had to be adjourned twice for 15 and 10 minutes respectively as the Opposition legislators remained in the Well, holding placards and raising slogans for a discussion on the subject.

Though Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, Legislative Affairs Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, other ministers and TDP MLAs found fault with the YSRC's conduct, the opposition members remained adamant on their demand.

"You can't dictate terms to the House. It runs as per rules and procedures. You can take part in the discussion and express your views," the Speaker told the agitating members but to no avail.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act 2014, which came into force on March 1, 2014, provided for the reorganization of the existing state of Andhra Pradesh.