The annual budget for 2022-23 introduced in the Andhra Pradesh state assembly by state finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy doesn’t have any mention about the much-talked about state capital issue.
Whether it is Amaravati, which the high court declared as the only capital, or the three capitals, proposed by chief minster Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the budget has neither mention nor any allocation of budget, at least as per the speech delivered by Buggana.
Even in the Governor’s address to the joint session of the state assembly and legislative council on March 7, there was no mention of the capital, except the words that the government was committed to decentralised and inclusive governance.
In fact, the three capitals’ plan had been part of the budgetary speech of Buggana and also in the Governor’s speech in the last two years. Even in the Republic Day speeches, the three capitals’ proposal was invariably mentioned.
Apparently, the government has avoided mentioning of the three capitals plan or even the Amaravati capital development, in this year’s budgetary speech this year because of the latest high court judgement.
“The chief minister is still discussing with the legal experts on going to the Supreme Court challenging the high court verdict. Till such time, any comment or statement on the issue would be inappropriate,” a government source said.
Interestingly, the high court ordered that the government implement the masterplan of the capital region development within the next six months and develop and handover the plots to the farmers within three months.
The process has commenced and it requires huge money to do it. Going by the budget speech, there is no mention of any budgetary allocation for Amaravati development.
Maybe, it has been made part of the urban development budgetary funds.
