HYDERABAD, Jan 31: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy announced
on Tuesday that Visakhapatnam will be the State's Capital instead of Amaravati.
He did not speak on his 3-Capital plan. However, the announcement comes at a
time when the case is sub judice - pending in the Supreme Court.
Amaravati was made the new Andhra Capital by the then Chief Minister N Chandrababu
Naidu in 2015 after it lost Hyderabad to the new State of Telangana which was
carved out of Andhra Pradesh. Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in
2014.
"Here I am to invite you to Visakhapatnam which is going to be our Capital
in the days to come. I myself would also be shifting over to Visakhapatnam in
the months to come," Jagan Mohan Reddy announced. He did not speak on his 3-Capital plan. His announcement comes when the apex court is yet to decide on
his appeal against the High Court verdict which nullified his 3-Capital legislation.
The case was posted for January 31 in the apex court but it did not come up
for hearing. The Supreme Court had, however, stayed the High Court order.
He was in New Delhi addressing an International Diplomatic Alliance Meet, a
preparatory meeting for the Global Investors Summit, which is scheduled to be
held in Visakhapatnam in March. The meeting was attended by several foreign
dignitaries.
The Naidu Government had earlier acquired 33,000 acres of land in Amaravati
for the new Capital. However, the acquisition has been mired in disputes with
farmers.
In 2019 Assembly elections Chandrababu Naidu lost to the YSRCP and Jagan Mohan
became the Chief Minister, who proposed three Capitals - Visakhapatnam as Executive
Capital, Amaravati as Legislative Capital and Kurnool as the Judicial Capital
and passed a legislation to this effect in the Assembly.
The legislation was challenged by farmers in the High Court which declared
it void. The verdict of March 3, 2022 said the State Legislature lacked competence
to make any legislation for shifting, bifurcating or trifurcating the Capital.
The Government later appealed in the Supreme Court against the verdict. The
apex court stayed the High Court order. It said “Courts cannot become a town
planner and Chief Engineer". The case was to be heard by the apex court on January
31 but did not come up.
Earlier Report: New Andhra Capital Amaravati and the other Amravati
