Hyderabad: A year after announcing Amaravati as its new capital, the AP government has not issued any GO or Gazette notification till date.
The government named the temporary Secretariat at Velagapudi that was inaugurated in the Amaravati capital region as “AP Government’s transitional headquarters”. The reason behind has more to do with technicalities than any laggardness on the part of the government.
Officials say that once the state government issues orders regarding the new capital, it will have to wind up its administration from Hyderabad, the joint capital city.
The officials said that no state can have two capitals and that “the new capital under construction is Amaravati” and not “Amaravati is state capital”.
As per the AP Reorganisation Act, the Central government says: “On and from the appointed day, Hyderabad in the existing state of Andhra Pradesh, shall be the common capital of the State of Telangana and the State of Andhra Pradesh for such period not exceeding ten years. After expiry of the period Hyderabad shall be the capital of the State of Telangana and there shall be a new capital for the State of Andhra Pradesh”.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had a year ago, announced the boundaries of the new capital named it as Amaravati.
The officials said as per procedure, after announcing the new capital city state government has to issue a GO in this regard and has to issue gazette notification. Technically speaking, Hyderabad is also the capital of AP, as per the AP Reorganisation Act.
Once the AP government issues GO declaring Amaravati as the state’s capital, then Hyderabad will cease to be the capital of AP. This will mean that the AP would have to shift its administration from Hyderabad. The non-issuance of a GO on Amaravati as the capital of AP is to avoid technical and legal problems.
“The AP government had been describing the government complex under construction in Velagapudi in Amaravati capital region as the temporary Secretariat, but on Monday named it “AP government’s transitional headquarters”. If it had been named “Secretariat”, the AP government would have to shift its administration from the Secretariat in Hyderabad,” said a senior officer.
