Setback to trifurcation of capital plan by Jagan Government

Visakhapatnam The order by the Andhra Pradesh High Court to continue Amaravati as a single capital of the State and complete pending works within six months has come as a big blow to the YSR Congress Party Government even as the ruling party leadership has started an exercise to study the implications of the judgement.

"It's too early to comment. The order came as a big shock for us. I believe the State Legislature has powers to decide on capital issues and to legislate as per the constitutional powers vested in it," Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development Botsa Satyanarayana remarked after the judgement on Thursday.

A three-judge division bench comprising Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, Justices M. Satyanarayana Murthy and D.V.S.S. Somayajulu based on a bunch of petitions filed by the aggrieved farmers of Amaravati region, said the State has no jurisdiction to change capitals and shift the High Court.

The farmers mainly the Amaravati Parirakshana Samiti had challenged the scrapping of AP Capital Region Development Authority Act and enactment of AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act. The farmers from 29 villages in the capital region are continuing their agitation for over 800 days. At a time when the hearing in the high court came to a close, the State Government sprang a surprise by repealing the two controversial Acts on three capitals and scrapping of APCRDA to form Executive Capital at Visakhapatnam, Judicial Capital at Kurnool and Legislative Capital saying it will bring about new 'foolproof' legislation after consulting all the stakeholders.

The previous Telugu Desam Party Government had promised to provide 1,000 square yards of development plot for surrendering of one acre to the farmers under the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS). For development of the capital, about 32,000 acres of fertile land was acquired. However, the decision of YSRCP after coming to power to form three capitals had led to crashing of realty prices in Vijayawada-Amaravati region.

The high court order has been described as the vindication of their stand by TDP as well as CP{I, CPI (M) and BJP. Former Union Minister and BJP general secretary Daggubati Purundeswari said the Centre had given several crores of rupees for development of Amaravati.

CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna said instead of taking it as a prestige issue, the State Government should implement the court directive to develop the capital at Amaravati within six months. He said development of all regions in the State was possible with the government's decision to increase the number of districts from 13 to 26.

Lauding the order, Amaravati Parirakshana Samiti said the government should implement the directive in true letter and spirit. TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu said his party was firm on retaining Amaravati as the single capital of Andhra Pradesh.