Come Dasara, CM to begin functioning from Steel City
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will shift to Visakhapatnam and start operating from there starting Vijayadashami (Dasara), IT and Industries minister Gudivada Amarnath announced on Wednesday. In an informal chat after the Cabinet meeting, Jagan informed his colleagues that he will be shifting to Vizag in tune with the plan to establish the Port City as the executive capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Further, it has also been learnt that the Chief Minister asked the ministers to be ready for polls at anytime, keeping in mind the proposed One Nation One Election policy. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Gudivada explained that Jagan has orally instructed the officials to form a committee to ensure that the infrastructure required for the smooth functioning of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) is ready.
Stating that Jagan had proposed Vizag as the executive capital, Gudivada said, “There is no rule regarding where the Chief Minister should function from. It is up to his discretion. Whichever city the CM chooses to administer the State from, will be considered as the executive capital.”
According to sources, CMO officials and other staff needed for day-to-day administrative duties would shift to the Steel City initially. The Chief Minister’s Camp Office and residence have been identified and readied. Major relocation of other departments might be scheduled around December, they added. In the past, too, the Chief Minister has announced his plans to shift to Vizag.
It may be recalled that the ruling YSRC in 2019 had proposed three capitals for the State—legislative capital at Amaravati, executive capital at Visakhapatnam and judicial capital at Kurnool—for decentralised administration and inclusive development.
While people from North Andhra and Rayalaseema welcomed the idea, people who gave their land for building Amaravati as the capital city opposed it. When the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill was passed on January 20, 2020, it was vehemently opposed by the TDP and a group of farmers in Amaravati. Subsequently, they approached the High Court, following which the government withdrew the bill on November 22, 2021.
In March 2022, the High Court in its verdict on the capital city issue directed the State government and AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) to build and develop Amaravati's capital city and capital region within six months, as agreed under the AP Capital Region Development Authority Act and Land Pooling Rules. Later, the State government challenged the HC’s orders in the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition. Though the State government sought an early hearing in the case, the apex court posted the matter to December, stating that it needs time to hear the arguments.
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