It’s Centre’s responsibility to save Amaravati: Chandrababu

Amaravati: The dissent in Amaravati over YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) govt’s move to create 3 state capitals in AP entered 200th day on Sat. with previous chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stating that the Center has the responsibility to safeguard Amaravati.

Solving a dissent organised by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to mark the occasion, Naidu named up on citizens to continue ‘safeguard Amaravati, safeguard AP’ movement.

Paying tributes to 64 farmers who passed away throughout Amaravati movement, the TDP chief claimed that Jaganmohan Reddy govt hatched numerous conspiracies to murder new AP’s capital Amaravati, that would’ve took investment to the state & jobs to its citizens.

“Has been it our error to build a state capital that the whole globe must admire,” inquired Naidu who wanted to build Amaravati as a world-class city.

The Singapore govt had equipped the master schedule for Amaravati, the foundation stone for that has been laid by PM Narendra Modi in Oct 2015.

Amaravati has been scheduled to be developed on the banks of Krishna river in a cost over INR one lakh cr. The farmers had given 33,000 acres of land for development (devt) of the state capital under land pooling scheme.

After Naidu’s TDP lost power within the elections previous year, Jaganmohan Reddy had declared review of all projects initiated throughout TDP rule. Alleging insider trading in development (devt) of Amaravati, the YSRCP govt suspended all work (5) in Amaravati & initiated a probe.

It has been in Dec previous year that the Jagan govt ruled to grow 3 state capitals, shifting some of the capital functions from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam & Kurnool. It declared that Amaravati going to continue as the legislative capital awhile Visakhapatnam & Kurnool going to be developed as executive & judicial capitals respectively.

Alleging that the move would harm their own interests, Amaravati farmers were staging rallies over the govt’s call. They’re insisting that Amaravati be developed as the only state capital.

The previous chief minister recalled that his own govt had embarked on developing Amaravati as the state capital as it has been centrally located.

Naidu stated the TDP govt constructed apartments for Assembly, Secretariat, High Court & Raj Bhavan. He stated 72 percent work (5) on MLA & MLC quarters has been also finished. He disclosed that INR 9,000 cr have been spent on all this work (5).

Naidu said that 139 businesses had come forward to make investments in Amaravati & this would’ve created large number of jobs.

He claimed that Jagan govt attempted to suppress Amaravati movement & utilized repressive steps over the protestors involving ladies. The leader of opposition stated the govt violated person rights.

Meantime, barring YSRCP, chiefs of all political parties discussed a virtual protest organised by Amaravati Joint Action Committee (JAC) spearheading the dissent. They ensured their own continued help to the citizens’s movement & pushed Jagan govt to withdraw its 3 capitals move.

YSRCP rebel MP Raghurama Krishna Raju also discussed the protest. Expanding his own help to Amaravati movement, Raju stated 3 capitals weren’t part of YSRCP’s election manifesto.

The Narsapuram MP pushed the govt to respect the feelings of citizens of Amaravati & drop its move to grow 2 extra capitals. “Govt is a uninterrupted procedure. As 80 percent of the capital works have been finished in Amaravati, the govt shouldn’t shift the capital,” Raju stated.