Jagan govt withdraws laws aiming to set up 3 Andhra capitals, promises ‘better’ version 
Governance

Jagan govt withdraws laws aiming to set up 3 Andhra capitals, promises ‘better’ version 

Addressing assembly, CM Jagan Mohan Reddy laments ‘false narrative’, talks about importance of decentralised development. Says will consult all stakeholders. 

   
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy | Photo: ANI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy | Photo: ANI

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government has repealed the controversial three-capital laws, the brainchild of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, adding that a “better, comprehensive” version of the legislations will soon be presented in the assembly.

State Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Monday tabled a bill to repeal the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Repeal Act, 2020, and the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act 2020, that had provided for three capitals, at Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Kurnool. The bill was passed by the assembly.

Among other things, the bill will bring back the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014, under which Amaravati was declared the capital.


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‘Decentralised development’

Speaking in the assembly Monday, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy stressed the importance of decentralised development and how investing in a single area, in the name of a capital, would affect development in other regions.

“Vizag is a fully developed city, with roads, infrastructure. With just some value addition, in a few years, it would have become like Hyderabad. Similarly, we took into consideration the needs of the people of Kurnool (which was once a capital) and after much deliberation we came up with the idea of three capitals. Had there been no hurdles to the law and had we gone ahead with it — we would have seen some development by now,” Jagan said.

“There was so much false narrative around 3-capital (laws), such theories of how certain sections of people would not benefit from it, or another section who would have large benefits. People’s mandate in 2019 was proof enough that they did not want a (single) capital like Hyderabad,” he added.

Jagan said the three-capital laws are being withdrawn “to explain need for decentralisation, the intent of the government, clarify legal aspects of the decision, to provide a better version of the laws and to better explain it to people from all regions”.

“The government will come back with a complete, better and comprehensive version of the Acts,”  Jagan said.

The government said it is repealing the Acts to enable further consultations to provide clarity in the policy of decentralisation. Consultations will be done with all stakeholders to present a suitable legislation addressing concerns of all regions, Finance Minister Rajendranath said.

(Edited by Saikat Niyogi)


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