VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is learnt to have informed his Cabinet colleagues that 99 per cent of the income generated by the State government is being spent on the wages and pensions and the aid from the Centre being spent on interests on borrowings. Despite such a difficult situation, the government is able to deliver the welfare and development schemes effectively, Naidu said.
Saying that the resolution to provide legal sanctity to Amaravati as the capital city of Andhra Pradesh will get the nod of the Parliament during the ongoing Session, the Chief Minister wanted the Ministers to actively communicate the historical and developmental significance of Amaravati to the public, underscoring the need for wider awareness and consensus.
The CM stated that unlike in 2014, when the capital was proposed between Guntur and Vijayawada region, the upcoming resolution clearly specify Amaravati within the jurisdiction of the CRDA as the official capital. Naidu noted that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had earlier supported the idea of a capital between Guntur and Vijayawada in 2014, but later proposed a three-capital model after assuming office.
According to the Chief Minister, the Prime Minister’s Office has advised the state to pass a formal resolution declaring Amaravati as the capital and forward it to the Centre. He said the resolution would be adopted in the Assembly on Saturday and sent on the same evening.
The Centre is expected to take it up in the Union Cabinet meeting scheduled for April 1, with plans to introduce an amendment bill in the ongoing Parliament session.
The CM also touched upon the issue of delimitation, stating that it could increase Assembly seats by 50 percent, thereby creating greater opportunities for political participation.