Amaravati Is The Capital Of AP, Says Centre

While the ruling dispensation in Andhra Pradesh has been making desperate attempts for the past four years to shift the executive base to Vishakapatnam as part of its three-pronged approach to distribute development all over the state, the central government continues to officially designate Amaravati as the sole capital.

In a reply to a question raised by Rajya Sabha member Javed Ali Khan, Minister of State for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore says that 26 States including Andhra Pradesh have approved Master Plans for their capitals. The Minister further clarified that Amaravati is the Capital of Andhra Pradesh.

This reply comes at a time when the Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government is planning to move some of the transit offices in the State Secretariat to Vizag by the end of this year. The reiteration made by the centre once again clarifies that Amaravati continues to be the official capital of Andhra Pradesh unless and until the present government passes legislation to change it. The reply has no doubt sparked a debate yet again among political circles and the people of Andhra Pradesh.

It is well known that Jagan floated the three capitals plan in 2019 after coming to power with a huge mandate. Even after the lapse of four years, there is no concrete action to execute the idea as the state government has faced numerous legal challenges in the High Court and the Supreme Court.

A few months ago, the state cabinet decided to start ruling from Vizag after Dussehra. However, it was unable to shift the base due to various reasons and deferred the plan. With the assembly elections due in less than 5 months, it looks like the Jagan government will face a severe backlash from the public if it fails to come up with some clarity over the capital of the state.