VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Saturday unanimously passed a landmark resolution seeking statutory recognition for Amaravati as the capital of AP.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu moved the resolution during the sixth session of the Assembly, urging the Union Government to amend the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 to remove ambiguity surrounding the State capital.
The resolution was passed after an extensive debate for nearly five and a half hours. The Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, Ministers and several legislators participated in the discussion, reflecting the broad political consensus on the capital issue.
The resolution requests the Government of India to amend Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 by including the words “at Amaravati” in sub-section (2), explicitly designating Amaravati as the capital of AP. Further, it proposes adding a clarification in the explanation to Section 5 stating that “Amaravati includes the capital city areas notified under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014,” thereby extending the capital’s legal scope to the entire CRDA-notified region.
After the passage of resolution, it was sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Copies of the resolution were also sent to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, seeking consideration of the proposed amendment during the ongoing Parliament session.
Assembly Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu forwarded the resolution to the Union Home Minister, while the Assembly Secretary General sent the copies to the Union Home Secretary and the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking on the resolution, the Chief Minister said, “Amaravati will remain as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh and no one can touch or shift it even by an inch.”
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured that the Centre would take responsibility for the construction of Amaravati, reinforcing its commitment to the capital project,” he said. Naidu lauded Amaravati farmers for voluntarily parting with their lands, stating that they have not just given land, but the future of the State.
“Amaravati is being developed as a self-sustaining project and will emerge as a growth engine, generating employment and economic opportunities,” he asserted.
State went back by 30 years after 2019, says Naidu
He pointed out that those questioning the relevance of a capital should look at Hyderabad, which generates around `1.05 lakh crore annually due to planned development.
Criticising the previous regime, he alleged that the State went back by 30 years after 2019, with the demolition of Praja Vedika marking the beginning of destructive governance.
He accused the previous regime of harassing Amaravati farmers through cases, force, and intimidation, and termed the three-capital proposal a Tughlaq decision that deterred investments.
Naidu said he and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, among others, were victims of the previous regime, but the present alliance secured a strong electoral mandate. Highlighting development in the NDA government, he said the Centre has already extended `15,000 crore for Amaravati and that works have resumed. In all, 91 projects worth `56,000 crore are currently underway. Trunk roads, layouts, and the development of key infrastructure will be completed by 2027 and the capital will take the full shape by 2028,” he said.
Naidu reaffirmed his stand, stating that “Andhra Pradesh will have only one capital Amaravati and it is permanent.”
Describing Amaravati as the heart and soul of Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister said it will be developed as a world-class blue-green city that the nation will be proud of. “Amaravati will serve as the capital, development will be decentralised across regions, with Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Tirupati emerging as major growth hubs,” he averred.