Even as the YSR Congress party government in Andhra Pradesh led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has been reiterating its firm commitment to form three capitals for the state, the Narendra Modi government at the Centre refused to make any commitment in this regard.
In a written reply to the question raised by YSRCP MP V Vijay Sai Reddy in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Union minister of state for home Nityananda Rai said the Centre would not like to make any comment on the powers of the state government to decide on the three capitals, as the issue is sub-judice.
To a question posed by Sai Reddy on whether the Centre would agree with the contention that only the state government had the power to decide on the location of the capital, the union minister said the Centre would not like to make any comment on it for now, as the issue was pending in the Supreme Court and any comment in this regard amounts to contempt of court.
Rai, however, said Andhra Pradesh had decided in 2015 itself that Amaravati would be its capital city.
“As per Section 5 and 6 of the AP Reorganisation Act. The Central government had constituted an experts committee to study the formation of the new capital city for Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
The committee submitted its report to the then state government, which subsequently decided to make Amaravati as the state capital. After informing the same to the Centre, it had notified Amaravati capital city, Rai said.
The union minister said the subsequent government had brought in a legislation forming three capitals, but had not consulted the Centre before taking the decision.
“Later, the legislation was withdrawn. The issue is now in the Supreme Court,” he explained.
