The announcement of YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on the possibility of three capital cities for the state has created panic among a section of farmers in Amaravati capital region who had given away their lands for the construction of the capital.
Some of the farmers are contemplating going to New Delhi to make a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking central intervention to prevail upon Jagan to drop the proposal of three capitals. They want the capital to be continued in Amaravati only.
As if endorsing their demand, former Union minister and presently Bharatiya Janata Party MP Y S Chowdary alias Sujana Chowdary issued a statement saying there was nothing for the farmers to worry about shifting of executive capital from Amaravati.
“Farmers of Amaravati, don’t worry. It is not so easy to shift the capital city from Amaravati. A capital city cannot change whenever there is a change in the government. The Centre will not keep quiet, if the state government takes decisions according to its whims and fancies,” Sujana tweeted.
However, another senior BJP leader and MP G V L Narasimha Rao tweeted that the capital formation is entirely a state subject and there is nothing the Centre can do in this regard.
Former chief secretary and BJP leader I Y R Krishna Rao also tweeted that the executive capital is going to be at Visakhapatnam and it is the ideal choice. The legislature can be operated from Amaravati and the judiciary from Kurnool.
YSRC leader and minister for panchayat raj Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said it was natural to have disagreements over a political decision. But, the state would witness all round development, if there was a decentralization of power.
He made it clear that the centre had nothing to do with the three capitals proposal as it was entirely a state issue. He accused former chief minister N Chandrababu of not being able to complete the capital and that all the structures in the capital area were temporary.
“This is why Amaravati has become a temporary capital,” he said.
He assured farmers of Amaravati need not worry, the land will be returned soon. Peddireddy said that Vishakhapatnam is a developed city and there is no need to land to buy.
