The Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet, at its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on September 20 (Wednesday), discussed the proposal to shift the seat of administration of the State government to Visakhapatnam tentatively around Dasara.
Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath, speaking to reporters, said that the Chief Minister is expected to shift base soon. “The Chief Minister discussed the plan (to shift to Visakhapatnam) in the Cabinet meeting. The place of the Chief Minister’s functioning would be the proposed Executive Capital and there is no dispute regarding this. The Chief Minister has directed to constitute a committee with officials to expedite this,” Mr. Amarnath said.
The Minister, however, did not make any assertive statement on shifting of the Capital by Dasara.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been saying that he would shift his base to Visakhapatnam for a long time, but the same has been delayed due to legal issues after the Andhra Pradesh High Court had ruled that the State government had no legislative competence to decide on the issue of the capital, and that it had to develop Amaravati in a time-bound manner.
The State government then filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the High Court order. The Supreme Court will hear the State government’s plea only in December.
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leadership is of the view that the relocation should be done before the year ends, in order to signal to the public that the government is committed to the development of Visakhapatnam as part of its three-capitals plan.
Though the YSRCP functionaries have been saying that a camp office and residence is being readied for Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy there, the Cabinet discussion on this issue assumes significance in the wake of political developments in the State.
Should the Chief Minister shift to Visakhapatnam, it will only add to the miseries of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) as it will have to divide its focus between fighting the State government’s decision and securing the release of its chief N. Chandrababu Naidu who is lodged at the Rajahmundry Central Prison over his alleged involvement in the skill development scam.
