HYDERABAD: AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s decision to designate Vijayawada- Guntur as the temporary capital of the State has left politicos from Rayalaseema fuming. At a seminar on ‘Location of the New AP Capital’ organised by the Concerned Citizens’ Forum here Saturday, former MP and YSRC leader MV Mysoora Reddy questioned the rationale behind having ‘another’ temporary capital, as Hyderabad, being the common capital of Telangana and AP, already serves the purpose.
“This is nothing but hoodwinking the Sivaramakrishnan Committee which has been given six months to recommend an ideal place to the Union government for the setting up the new capital. What is the need to promote some place and hastily create a temporary capital?” he asked. He accused the government of taking a unilateral stand without eliciting the views of all parties. “When planning a city, one should ensure that it is self-sustaining with a lot of green cover. Besides, one should keep in mind the fact that a capital city has social obligations and needs good amenities, but nothing of this sort has been discussed so far!” he said. He felt the new capital should be equidistant from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. Congress leader C Ramachandraiah observed that acquiring land for building a capital in Vijayawada-Guntur region would entail financial and legal problems and, said his party was against “grabbing” fertile lands for the purpose.
“Before zeroing in on the capital, the government should take a holistic view as it involves many stakeholders. It is not like setting up a party office,” he opined. He suggested that Donakonda in Prakasam district could be an ideal place as it is equidistant to both Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. Former MP Chinta Mohan cautioned the government that there would be a separate State demand from Rayalaseema if the people feel cheated. “One should not be surprised if a demand for a 30th state arises in Rayalaseema,” he said. Former DGP C Anjaneya Reddy and former High Court judge Justice Lakshman Reddy also said the government should be o p e n -mi n d e d a b o u t Kurnool. “When you are spending about Rs 40,000 crore public funds on a particular region, it also means you are providing infrastructure and promoting development in that place,” said Anjaneya Reddy.