Andhra Pradesh withdraws 3-capital legislation, to have one capital, announces CM Jagan Mohan Reddy
The YSRC government proposed establishing three capitals for the State: the executive capital in Visakhapatnam, the judicial capital in Kurnool, and the legislative capital in Amaravati.
The Andhra Pradesh administration has decided to remove the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020, designed to create three capitals for the State. The State Cabinet, which convened here in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, made this decision. The controversial plan to establish executive, legislative, and judicial capitals in three cities, depriving Amaravati of its unique capital designation, has been challenged in court. On Monday, the administration filed its repeal decision with the High Court.
The AP High Court, which is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020 and the AP Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bills, 2020, was apprised of the same by Advocate General S Sriram.
The YSRC government proposed establishing three capitals for the State: the executive capital in Visakhapatnam, the judicial capital in Kurnool, and the legislative capital in Amaravati. Opposition parties and farmers from the Amaravati region who donated their lands for the capital were all against it. Farmers from the Amaravati region filed a slew of petitions, and the High Court is currently hearing the matter regularly. After the Cabinet meeting, civil supply minister Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao (Nani) announced that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy stands by his decision.
In addition, Amaravati farmers are organising a demonstration titled 'Nyayastahanam to Devasthanam' (High Court to Temple) from Amaravati to Tirumala to make Amaravati the only capital of the State. Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, the then-governor of Andhra Pradesh, signed two bills last year: the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020, and the AP Capital Region Development Authority (Repeal) Bill, 2020, which called for the establishment of executive, legislative, and judicial capitals in Vishakhapatnam, Amaravati, and Kurnool.