YSRC government yet to decide fate of Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh capital

VIJAYAWADA: Confusion continues to prevail over the fate of Amaravati, the proposed capital of AP. Though works in the capital have been stopped pending inquiry on land pooling, plot allotments, insider trading and excess tendering, the ruling party, it seems, is still not clear whether it should keep the capital in Amaravati or shift it somewhere else.
Chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has so far maintained absolute silence on the matter, while municipal administration and urban development minister Botcha Satyanarayana continues to make confusing statements.
The CM had initially told party leaders that he would prefer to use the existing government buildings at Velagapaudi for the secretariat and assembly. Accordingly, he is working from there, indicating that he is not ready to shift the capital now. But the statements of his ministers, particularly Botcha, are confusing the matter. The minister has said many times in the recent past against the suitability of the location, which he says is not suitable for construction because of black soil and flood threat. He has also said that the government has to spend more money on laying foundations for buildings in this soil and that it was not prepared to waste money.
Meanwhile, Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, the ruling party’s MLA from Mangalagiri which is part of the capital city area, recently wrote a letter to the CM, asking him to shift the administrative capital to Mangalagiri. He said the area, which already has the DGP’s office and a dozen other offices of HoDs, has over 10,000 acres of government land and another 10,000 acres of forest land. According to him, the area is big enough to build an administrative capital and the construction cost will also be comparatively low as the soil is rocky and hard, unlike the soil in Velagapudi.
“We are not asking the government to shift the capital from Amaravati. In fact, Mangalagiri constituency is also part of Amaravati. All we are asking is to make use of the government land available here,” Ramakrishna Reddy said.
However, there is a big debate going across the sate on whether this government would retain capital in Amaravati or shift it. Even the Jana Sena politburo had expressed doubts over the government’s intentions and warned it against shifting the capital.