VIJAYAWADA: Reaffirming the government’s commitment to Amaravati, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that the capital city will be developed into a world-class urban centre.
Every citizen should proudly say that Amaravati is our capital, he said, adding that people would witness significant progress in the city’s development over the next three years. He stressed that Amaravati would serve as the focal point for the State’s future growth.
The CM inaugurated a 58-foot bronze statue of Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu at Sakhamuru Park in Amaravati on Monday as part of the celebrations marking his 125th birth anniversary. Named the ‘Statue of Sacrifice,’ the monument symbolises Sriramulu’s historic 58-day fast that ultimately led to the formation of a separate state for Telugu-speaking people.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Union Minister Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, HRD Minister Nara Lokesh, BJP State president PVN Madhav and several ministers attended the programme and paid floral tributes to the statue.
Addressing the gathering, the CM described Potti Sriramulu as a symbol of inspiration and sacrifice for the Telugu people. He said Sriramulu did not belong to any particular community but to the entire society. The 58-foot statue was installed to represent the 58-day fast undertaken by Sriramulu, and the monument has been named the Statue of Sacrifice. Just as the Statue of Liberty stands in the United States and the Statue of Unity in India, Andhra Pradesh now has the Statue of Sacrifice honouring Sriramulu, he said. He stressed that development of State in all sectors is a true tribute to Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu.
The CM said the first phase of the Potti Sriramulu Memorial Park had been completed in a record six months.
The life and sacrifice of the leader should be known to every citizen and inspire future generations, he said. At a time when Telugu people lacked recognition, Sriramulu’s struggle helped establish their identity and pride.
While Mahatma Gandhi led the country to independence through non-violence, Sriramulu sacrificed his life to secure a separate state for Telugu-speaking people. Following his sacrifice, the Centre initiated the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines. Sriramulu carried out a 58-day fast without even drinking water in his struggle for a separate state and ultimately laid down his life.
He noted that the Telugu community had faced several challenges both in the past and present. At one stage, Kurnool served as the capital of Andhra State and Hyderabad as the capital of united AP. Later, Amaravati emerged as the capital of the reorganised State. Referring to developments between 2019 and 2024, the CM said the capital issue had been turned into a three-capital controversy, leaving the State in a situation where it effectively had no capital. Today, Amaravati is once again progressing as the people’s capital, he said.
The CM said the sacrifices made by farmers who gave their lands for the Amaravati capital project would remain an inspiring chapter in the State’s history. When the government lacked funds to build the capital, the land pooling model was adopted, making people partners in the development of Amaravati.
The CM said every citizen should not only have a house but that the State must also have a strong and functioning capital.
The government would develop Amaravati in such a way that every citizen could proudly say, ‘Amaravati is our capital.’ The scale of development planned for Amaravati would become visible within the next three years, he said.
He alleged that some groups were spreading misinformation about the capital for political gain. The present government, he said, belonged to all sections of society and was committed to justice for everyone.