AP's administration shift to Vizag likely in December

Vijayawada: The YSR Congress government is likely to shift the state administration to Visakhapatnam in December. “Construction works are still incomplete in the Millennium Towers. Shifting government departments will take more time. The administration shift may be delayed further to New Year  or the Sankranti festival,” official sources told Deccan Chronicle.

YSRC ministers have been saying the capital shift and administration shift to Vizag would take place soon. There, however, are serious objections to this from opposition parties. Undaunted, the state government recently issued orders allocating office accommodations for various departments in Visakhapatnam.

The shifting of the executive capital to Visakhapatnam had, in the past, been postponed to various dates due to several reasons including the court litigations. There exist a lot of legal glitches. The Telugu Desam, Congress, BJP, Jana Sena and Communist parties together opposed executive capital shift.

The Jagan Reddy government opted for the shift of administration in the name of inclusive development, with special reference to North Andhra, by chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and his ministers. The opposition parties are, however, looking at this push as a “backdoor entry” to Vizag.

The Jagan Reddy government has decided to use its own buildings for various  departments in the first instance. Some 2,27,287 sq-ft is available for the camp offices for senior functionaries (ministers / secretaries / heads of department and their staff).

The camp office space will be given to the remaining senior functionaries, if own departmental office accommodation is unavailable. The Millennium Towers A & B, Rishikonda (1,75,516 sq-ft) can be readied with minimal work, official sources said.

Government employees are waiting for orders regarding the shifting of departments. Spaces were already allotted for the main departments out of 35 government departments in the vicinity of Vizag. The identification process is under way for the rest of the departments.

Fisheries minister Seediri Appalaraju made it clear that Jagan Mohan Reddy will run the administration from Visakhapatnam from the first week of December. “Jagan has declared Visakha as the administrative capital as part of the decentralisation of governance,” he noted.

Appalaraju claimed that making Visakha the administrative capital was the aspiration of the people of North Andhra. Leaders of the past thought of making Visakhapatnam the state capital 50 years ago but it has not materialized,” he said.

The minister said the chief minister has recognised the backwardness of Uttarandhra in his pre-poll Padayatra and therefore decided to develop Visakhapatnam as part of decentralisation of AP governance. He refuted allegations of the TD and JS regarding occupation of the Millennium Towers and Rushikonda Guest House in Visakhapatnam.

He said a lot of government building spaces were available and the state would use these. “There is no norm or rule regarding the CM’s stay. Hence, Jagan Reddy can stay anywhere in the state,” he said.

He termed Chandrababu and Pawan as non-residents as “they stay in Hyderabad and are trying to mislead the Andhra people on the Vizag issue.”

Tourism minister RK Roja said TD feared the collapse of real estate in Amaravati and hence opposed Vizag as capital. “Many TD leaders are involved in the Amaravati land scam and finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy had exposed such roles of TD leaders, in his speeches in the state assembly on several occasions.”

She said, “ Chandrababu Naidu as CM constructed temporary structures of poor quality in Amaravati. It showed the TD’s lack of “determination and dedication” towards developing Amaravati.