The farmers of Amaravati capital villages have refused to register their plots from the government. As the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) had already written to them asking them to get their plots registered by the end of March, the farmers sent replies raising questions and refusing to register.

The APCRDA started the process following the high court direction that the government and the CRDA register the plots to the farmers within one month. The court directed the government to develop the layout and give the plots to the farmers as agreed in the land pooling system.

Accordingly, the APCRDA wrote letters and had set the papers ready. However, the farmers gave a shock to the APRCDA raising some questions. The farmers wanted to know how would the CRDA register the plots without developing the layout. They also questioned the APCRDA for not completing the land pooling and land acquisition process which was started in January 2016.

The State government had floated the APCRDA in 2014 for the land pooling from the farmers for the capital. The APCRDA had pooled 33,000 acres from the farmers, besides acquiring some 5,000 acres. This was in addition to the 25,000 acres of the government land available in all the 29 villages.

The TDP government which had started the project, built a few buildings and laid a couple of roads. The TDP had proposed nine cities to be built in Amaravati and make it the global destination. The Singapore government was given the contract to prepare the masterplan for Amaravati with the proposed nine cities.

However, the 2019 general elections have changed the scene with the YSR Congress coming to power and proposing decentralisation with three capitals. After two years of legal battle by the farmers, the court had given the order in their favour. However, they are not ready to get the plots registered for them, and are posing the questions. It is to be seen what would they tell the court when some petitions appear on the implementation of its order on Amaravati capital.

Amaravati erupted in celebrations on Thursday after Andhra Pradesh High Court pronounced its judgment on petitions challenging Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government’s decision to create three state capitals.

Raising slogans of ‘Jai Amaravati’, farmers of the region burst crackers and distributed sweets to hail the court order.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra directed the government to complete implementation of Amaravati capital city master plan in six months.

The court also asked the government to hand over developed plots with all basic amenities to farmers within three months. The government was also asked not to alienate lands in Amaravati for any work other than development of the state capital.

Farmers and women, who have been agitating for over 800 days, welcomed the judgment as victory of truth and justice. A group of women bowed down to thank the judiciary for upholding the justice.

“Over 200 people have lost their lives in this protest due to a wrong decision by the government. At least now, the government should shed its arrogance and resume developing Amaravati as the only state capital,” one of the women said.

Farmers said the court verdict has come as a big relief for them as they were losing hopes of getting justice. They demanded that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government respect the court order and implement it without challenging it in the Supreme Court.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for Amaravati on October 22, 2015. Then Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had grand plans to develop the capital.

With nine theme cities, and 27 townships, Amaravati on the banks of Krishna river was planned in an area of 217 square km as a world-class city.

The Singapore government had made free master plan for capital region, capital city and seed area. It was designed not merely as an administrative capital but as an economic and job creating hub and tourism centre.

The project then attracted the attention of investors from countries like Australia, Japan, Germany, Singapore and Britain.

After coming to power in 2019, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) reversed the decision of the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government to develop Amaravati as the only state capital.

Jagan Mohan Reddy declared that Amaravati, a Rs 2 lakh crore project, was not his priority.

The new government had put on hold all the works in Amaravati, citing the irregularities committed by the previous government in awarding contracts.

The construction activity came to a grinding halt creating an atmosphere of uncertainty, leading to a big slump in land prices. The World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) were first to pull out of a project to fund Amaravati’s development.

Later, a consortium of Singapore companies closed Amaravati Capital City Startup Project, the agreement for which was signed during the TDP rule. The government said they mutually decided to cancel the project as the consortium had failed to respond to the concerns raised.

Later, Jagan Mohan Reddy announced that Visakhapatnam will be developed as administrative capital and Kurnool as judicial capital while Amaravati will serve as only legislative capital.

This triggered massive protest from farmers in 29 villages of Amaravati, who had given 33,000 acres of land for the capital and were hoping to reap its economic benefits.

The government’s decision had shattered dreams of 24,000 farmers who had voluntarily given lands ranging from half-an-acre to 50 acres.

For every acre of cultivable land the farmers were promised 1000 square yards of residential plot and 250 square yards of commercial plot with all the infrastructure. Almost all the farmers received the allotment papers but their dreams of owning developed plots remained on paper with the change of guard. They were also promised Rs 50,000 annuity per acre with an annual hike of 10 per cent.

In January 2020, the Andhra Pradesh Decentralization and Inclusive Development of all Regions Bill 2020 and the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Repeal Bill 2020 were passed by the Assembly to create three capitals.

The Opposition TDP which had a majority in the 58-member Council stalled them and got them referred to a Select Committee.

However, officials refused to constitute the Select Committee on the ground that the decision of the then chairman of the Council M.A. Shariff was not in line with the rules.

Even as Amaravati farmers and others moved to the High Court, the Bills were passed by the Assembly for the second time on June 16, 2020. Though they were not passed by the Legislative Council, they were considered as ‘deemed to be passed’ as per Clause 2 of Article 197 of the Constitution as one month had elapsed after their introduction in the Upper House of the state legislature.

On July 31, 2020, Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan signed the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Repeal Bill 2020 and Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill 2020, paving the way for trifurcation of the state capital.

The repeal of the APCRDA, which was created for development of Amaravati as the state capital, had led to formation of the Amaravati Metropolitan Region Development Authority (AMRDA).

Several farmers moved the High Court challenging the two Bills on the ground that they were not passed in accordance with the rules.

Even as more than 75 petitions were being heard by the high court, the government in November last year repealed the two laws but made it clear that it has not gone back on its decision to develop three capitals.

With incessant rains giving no respite, the Amaravati farmers yatra – Nyaya Sthanam to Devasthanam – has taken a temporary break. The yatris have decided to stay put in Nellore till the skies become clearer. Like on Sunday, they have given a break on Monday too. If the weather becomes favourable, the yatra is likely to resume from Tuesday, according to the Amaravati JAC, which is leading the yatra from Tulluru to Tirupati.

The Yatra began on November 1 in Tulluru in the Amaravati capital area, and will end on December 15 at Tirupati. On Friday, The Yatra completed 28 days on Saturday. As of now, the yatri’s have camped in the Salivahana Function hall on the outskirts of Nellore city.

The yatris received a shot in the arm as the Jana Sena too has expressed its solidarity. Jana Sena senior leader Nadendla Manohar joined the yatra in Nellore city on Friday and said that his party would not allow the state capital to be moved even an inch from Amaravati. TDP parliamentary constituency incharge Abdul Aziz and assembly constituency incharge Kotamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy too supported the yatra and as a mark of solidarity, walked through the streets of Nellore along with the yatris.

Meanwhile, the BJP too has joined the yatra and extended their support to the Padayatra, which seeks to demand that only Amaravati be made the sole capital of AP.

Regardless of the AP Government’s decision to withdraw the controversial three-capitals bill, the Amaravati farmers yatra is continuing. The yatris have decided to go ahead with the yatra. After giving rest to the yatra on account of Kartika Somavaram, the yatra began from Konda Bitragunta in Nellore district on Tuesday. Despite the cloudy weather and incessant rains, the yatra is forging ahead.

On Tuesday, the padayatris will cover 15 km and reach Sunnambatti by evening. Tuesday is the 23rd day of the yatra. The Yatra will continue for 45 days. The yatra began on November 1 at Tulluru in Guntur district and will reach Tirupati on December 15. As part of the yatra, the yatris are trying to create awareness about the need to have Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the BJP has entered the fray. Several BJP activists have joined the yatra with their party flags and extended their support to the Padayatra, which seeks to demand that only Amaravati be made the sole capital of AP. BJP leaders like Purandeswari, Ravela Kishore, Sujana Chowdary and CM Ramesh have come out in support of the yatra. Several TDP leaders too have expressed their solidarity with the yatris.

On Monday, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy told the assembly that the government was going to withdraw the 3-capital bill. However, he also clarified that the bill will come back in a different form and that all the legal loopholes would be removed.

Tragedy struck the Amaravati Maha Padayatra of the farmers of the Amaravati region on Monday. While the yatra was about to reach Chirrikurapadu in Kondapi mandal from Uppalapadu on Monday evening, the cylinder meant to fill gas into the balloons for the padayatra suddenly exploded. One person was killed and two others were grievously injured.

According to the police, a cylinder to fill gas into balloons was being carried in an autorickshaw as part of the yatra. The police said that the pipe developed a small crack causing an explosion. Meda Navin of Vijayawada’s Krishna Lanka, Pakalabattula Bhaskara Rao and sixty-year-old Vinnakota Raghavendra Rao suffered injuries. Later, Raghavendra Rao died while under treatment in the RIMS hospital in Ongole. The police immediately removed the autorickshaw from the convoy.

Meanwhile, the Amaravati farmers yatra is eliciting good response. On Sunday, NRIs from Singapore and the USA joined the yatra and expressed their solidarity with the farmers on a padayatra. Similarly, IT sector employees from Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad extended their support to the yatris. Kondepi MLA Dr D Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy expressed his solidarity by walking some distance along with the yatris.

On Monday, the yatra began from Nidamanuru and covered several villages in Kondapi mandal. Kondapi MLA extended his support all through the yatra. The 45-day yatra, which is being organised with the sole demand of keeping Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh, will end in Tirumala.