VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, which was expected to take a call on the GN Rao Committee recommendations on three-capitals for the State, deferred a decision on the same and, in what appears to be a counter-attack on the opposition TDP, decided to seek legal opinion on whether to hand over probe into alleged insider trading in Amaravati to the CBI, Lokayukta or the CID.
The cabinet, which met at the Secretariat amid protests in the Amaravati region, discussed at length the GN Rao Committee recommendations. “A final decision will be taken after the Boston Consulting Group submits its report. The government will form a high-powered committee to study the recommendations of the GN Rao Committee recommendations and the BCG report. A final decision will be taken thereafter,” Perni Nani, Information and Public Relations Minister told media persons after the cabinet meeting.
On the alleged insider trading, he said a cabinet sub-committee had submitted a report on it to cabinet. “We have identified TDP leaders, their car drivers, and businesses who purchased lands in the Amaravati region within six months prior to the announcement of the capital in 2014. The cabinet has decided to seek legal opinion on the question of ordering a probe… whether it should be done by the CID, CBI or the Lokayukta,” Nani said.
The BCG is expected to submit its report on January 3. The GN Rao Committee had submitted its report last week recommending that capital functions be decentralised -- with executive functions shifted to Vizag, legislative to Amaravati and judicial to Kurnool.