Andhra Pradesh CMO unofficially bans Amaravati from datelines

HYDERABAD: The state government is learnt to have unofficially banned the use of Amaravati dateline on press notes released to the media by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

Significantly, the media communiqués issued by the CMO conveying official news are having Tadepally or Velagapudi datelines, instead of Amaravati.

It was the regime of former CM N. Chandrababu Naidu that first started using the Amaravati dateline on press notes issued by the Chief Minister’s Office.

Interestingly, Naidu’s residence is at Undavalli while Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is residing at Tadepally. Whoever may be the CM, official review meetings of chief ministers are conducted either at the secretariat or at their official residence.

Information about Naidu’s meetings, whether at the Secretariat or his residence, was issued by the then Chief Minister Office with Amaravati dateline, as Amaravati was the capital city of AP.

Present Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan too is conducting review meetings at the secretariat or his residence. When the review meeting is held at the CM’s residence located at Tadepally, the press note issued by the CMO is using the Tadepally dateline. If the review meeting is conducted at the secretariat situated in Velagapudi, the CMO is mentioning Velagapudi as the dateline. The mention of Amaravati is thus being avoided.

Incidentally, the temporary secretariat was constructed by the Naidu regime at Velagapudi. The AP assembly building was also established in Velagapudi.

Since then, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government has, in the name of decentralising administration, decided to create three capitals, with Amaravati being the legislative capital.

A senior officer of the CMO clarified that they may use Amaravati dateline on press notes related to the assembly, because Amaravati is the legislative capital.

He maintained that the CM’s residence at Tadepally and secretariat at Velagapudi are not part of the legislative capital Amaravati.