Andhra Pradesh FM skirts Amaravati development in state budget

VIJAYAWADA: The AP annual budget presented in the state assembly on Friday had no mention of Capital (Amaravati). Finance minister Buggana Rajendranath skirted the issue of Amaravati development in view of the recent high court verdict on the Three Capitals plan.

The high court had affirmed Amaravati will remain as the only capital of Andhra Pradesh and asked the government to develop the area as per the masterplan and handover the developed plots to farmers in six months’ time.

Huge sums are required to do this. However, there is no budgetary allocation for Amaravati development. The Amaravati farmers and Opposition parties including Telugu Desam had expectations that the budget would allot funds for Amaravati development.

The YSRC government avoided mentioning about Three Capitals under the decentralized development plan. Earlier too, there was no mention of Three Capitals in the Governor’s speech on the inaugural day of the state assembly budget sessions on March 7 except that the government was committed to decentralising and inclusive governance.

The Three Capitals plan had been part of the budgetary speech of finance minister Rajendranath and in the Governor’s speech too in the last two years. Even in the Republic Day speeches, the Three Capitals’ proposal was invariably being mentioned.

Government sources said chief minister Jagan is still discussing with legal experts about the possibility of going to the Supreme Court and challenging the HC verdict. Hence, any comment or statement on the issue now would be inappropriate.

Telugu Desam leaders including party general secretary Nara Lokesh criticised the government for not allocating funds for the Amaravati Capital project despite the orders from the high court.