VIJAYAWADA: Notwithstanding the High Court issuing directives that the government officials concerned will have to pay for the expenses on shifting of offices from Amaravati to other places, the State government has taken the first step towards its three-capital proposal by ordering to relocate the offices of Vigilance Commissioner and Chairman of Commissionerate of Inquiries from Amarvati to Kurnool, that has been proposed as the legislative capital.
Late Friday night, a Government Order was issued for shifting of the two offices which were functioning from the Interim Government Complex (Secretariat) at Velagapudi to Kurnool district. As these offices are quasi-judicial in nature, the government has decided to shift them to Kurnool in the Rayalaseema region.
Chief Secretary Neelam Sawhney, in the GO, said on administrative grounds, the government has decided that the Office of the Vigilance Commissioner and Chairman of Commissionerate of Inquires and Offices of the members of the Commissioner of Inquires shall function in Kurnool.
The government has asked the Engineer-in-Chief of Roads and Buildings and Collector of Kurnool district to identify suitable buildings in Kurnool to house the offices immediately. It may be recalled that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, which want to make Visakhapatnam as the executive capital, Kurnool as the judicial capital and Amaravati as the legislative capital, had failed to get legislation passed in the AP Legislative Council, where the Opposition TDP is in majority. The Decentralised Bill related to three capitals and decentralised governance was referred to the Select Committee of Legislative Council for eliciting public opinion. With the crucial Bill stalled at the Council, the government had even passed a resolution in the Assembly to abolish the Legislative Council and sent the same to the Centre for passing legislation to scrap the upper house.
At the same time, the High Court too said it would hold the government and the officials concerned responsible if any offices were relocated to the proposed new capitals. The court also asked the State government not to shift any of its offices to any other place. The matter has been posted to February 26 for further hearing, on a batch of writ petitions opposing the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020 and the APCRDA (Repeal) Bill.
What the GO says
On administrative grounds, the government has decided that the Office of the Vigilance Commissioner and Chairman of Commissionerate of Inquires and Offices of the members of the Commissioner of Inquires shall function in Kurnool