AMARAVATI: The decision of the government to withdraw the two Acts on the three capital cities may have been prompted by concerns that the laws would not stand up to legal scrutiny, according to experts.
Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who spoke on the three capital legislation in the Assembly on Monday, said the government would come up with a new Bill on decentralisation of development and power and ensure there are no legal hurdles.
The state government is likely to constitute an expert committee to begin consultations with stakeholders from all three regions. “This is no defeat or victory for anyone. The government is committed to overall development of all three region and we will re-introduce the Bills such that they overcome all hurdles,” said municipal administration and urban development minister Botcha Satyanarayana.
Faced with tough propositions in the legal battle over the repeal of the CRDA Act and AP Decentralisation and Equitable Development Act in the high court, the state government has made a strategic retreat. The government is reported to have taken the sudden decision following advice from the constitutional experts it had lined up to argue in the high court.
The previous government had pooled over 33,000 acres of land from farmers of 29 villages in Thullur, Mangalagiri and Tadepalle mandals in Guntur district. A majority of farmers, particularly from upland areas, voluntarily gave up their land in return of a land compensation announced by the former government as part of a land pooling scheme (LPS).
The government roped in farmers with a promise to develop the area and readied an exclusive master plan for development of nine core cities within Amaravati. The repeal of the CRDA Act is being viewed as a breach of trust by farmers as the mere presence of the legislative assembly would not guarantee them the assured premium for the plots allocated under the LPS scheme. “The development of a big city is the soul of the CRDA Act and the promise of the government. Who will purchase the plots if there is no development in the region?” farmers questioned.
The state earlier constituted two separate committees to study the issue of equitable development. Both reports backed the chief minister’s proposal to establish three capital cities. However, the government’s decision to rush through the process pushed it into legal trouble as it bypassed certain legislative procedures.
The opposition TDP, which had a majority in the Council at the time, had pressed for sending the Bills to a select committee. In January 2020, Legislative Council chairman MA Shariff referred the Bills to a select committee. However, the government routed the bills to the governor and secured his nod. The decision of the legislature secretary to not honour the decision of the chairman is a major issue that came up for scrutiny in the high court.
