AP cabinet struggles to decide state capital; may favor 3 capitals proposal

Amaravati: After the expert panel recommended that the State government to develop Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool as the capital cities, and also the Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had indicated the same on December 17 with no intention of backing down, the state cabinet on Friday seemed struggling on relocating the state capital.

The ‘three capitals’ concept was borne out of the idea of decentralization, and a proposal to invest power in-legislative, executive and judicial capital cities instead of pooling up everything in one mega city (Amaravati).

The proposal however, attracted a lot of criticism and the people demanded that the entire capital should be shifted to Kurnool on the ground that it would undo the injustice meted to them for decades.

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Farmers who had given up their land for the proposed capital city at Amaravati, have been agitating over the last couple of days, demanding that the government drop its plan to relocate Andhra Pradesh's capital.

Though the cabinet discussed the recommendations of the expert committee, it did not take a decision as it wanted to wait for the report of an international consulting firm,which is expected to submit the report on January 3, they said.

The existing capital Amaravati which is only in the basic stages of development could become the "Legislative Capital", port city Visakhapatnam the "Executive Capital" and Kurnool the "Judiciary Capital".

Talking in favor of decentralization, AP CM Jagan Mohan Reddy on Dec 17 had said, "We may have three different capitals. They are required. We have to think on those lines seriously."

The cabinet will meet again after that and take a decision, they added.

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