Jagan Mohan Reddy thinking of a capital referendum
CM doesn’t think the capital needs to be in one place, so wants to take it to the people.
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is set to decide on the state capital by referendum. Mr Reddy feels there is no need for all government departments and offices to be located at one place.
The idea is similar to the core argument of the Sivaramakrishnan committee report, which was appointed by the Centre to suggest a place to build a capital for AP. The previous Telugu Desam government ignored the committee’s report and decided to build the capital between Vijayawada and Guntur on the Krishna banks.
Mr Reddy asked AP Capital Region Developm-ent Authority (CRDA) commissioner P. Lakshmi Narasimham to submit a report on the lands pooled at Amaravati. In particular, Mr Reddy wants the CRDA to report on whether farmers had given their lands voluntarily or whether the government had taken forcefully from them. He wanted the report to include issues like the extent of land allotted by the previous government to various private and public companies, besides public institutions.
A senior official said after the CRDA commissioner submits a report, Mr Reddy may decide on going to the people with a referendum on the issue.