VIJAYAWADA: Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has welcomed the resolution passed by the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly seeking statutory recognition for Amaravati as the State capital.
Participating in the discussion on the resolution, Pawan Kalyan traced the historical context of state formation, recalling that the demand for a linguistic state gained momentum after the fast-unto-death by Potti Sriramulu on October 19, 1952. He noted that the formation of Andhra State on October 1, 1953, with Kurnool as its capital, marked a turning point, but said the region has continued to struggle for a permanent capital even decades later.
He emphasised that political stability is crucial for development and lamented that despite years passing since bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh is still grappling with capital-related issues. “It is painful that even today we are debating over a capital and proper institutional infrastructure,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister criticised the Congress for not acting responsibly during the bifurcation of the state. He pointed out that when Andhra Pradesh was formed in 2014, there were no proper administrative facilities, and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had to function with minimal resources, even expressing readiness to work from temporary arrangements.
He said that a majority of farmers voluntarily gave around 33,000 acres of land for the construction of Amaravati without disputes, reflecting public support for the Capital. However, he alleged that after the change in government in 2019, Amaravati was deliberately neglected and farmers who supported the Capital were harassed.
He also criticsed the previous government’s three-capital proposal, stating that it complicated the issue rather than resolving it.
Reaffirming his party’s stand, he said the Jana Sena will remain committed to Amaravati as the sole capital and will continue to support farmers who contributed land for its development.