VIJAYAWADA: The agitation taken up by the farmers of capital region against shifting of the capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam, entered the 37th day on Thursday. The people staged protests at Mandadam, Thullur, Velagapudi and Krishnapalem villages against the Decentralisation of Governance and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill and the Repeal of the Capital Region Development Bill, which were passed by the State Assembly on Monday. They raised slogans against the YSRC government for its decision to set up three capitals.
At Mandadam, Muslims performed ‘Ksheerabhishekam’ to the portraits of Ambedkar and Legislative Council Chairman MA Shariff. They hailed Shariff for using his discretionary power by referring the Decentralisation of Governance and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill and the Repeal of the Capital Region Development Bill to a select committee despite ‘intimidation’ by the ruling YSRC members. At Uddandarayunipalem, women performed special rituals at the foundation stone laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the construction of capital.
“We are welcoming the Council Chairman’s decision to refer Decentralisation of Governance and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill and the Repeal of the Capital Region Development Bill to a select committee. We will intensify our agitation if the YSRC government abolishes the Council,” said Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi convener Sudhakar.
How can the State government hire an advocate by spending Rs 5 crore taxpayers’ money to defend the government on the petitions filed in the High Court relating to the capital issue despite having the advocate general? he questioned.
Leaders of Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi JAC met TDP MLC Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and appreciated him for blocking the bill to create three capitals.
The JAC stir seeking continuation of Amaravati as capital has gained support from abroad. “The JAC has so far received Rs 70.01 lakh in the form of donations for the cause of Amaravati as capital,” said JAC co-convener G Tirupati Rao.