In a latest comment, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy went a step ahead and made a highly explosive comment on Amaravati Capital. It came in an interview to The Hindustan Times. He said it was ‘perverted thinking’ to aim at developing a single high revenue-earning city as Capital for any State. This comment is obviously intended to mock former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s frequent statements that Andhra Pradesh can get development on a par with its neighbouring States only when its Capital is visualised and developed like a big metro city like Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

In the process, CM Jagan cited how a small town like Omaha was generating huge revenue because of the presence of world’s top billionaire Warren Buffett there. Similarly, Seattle was a relatively smaller place but the location of Microsoft has made a high revenue earning place. So, Jagan Reddy says revenue should not be the criterion for selection of Capital location. But, his past statements run totally contrary to this.

CM Jagan supported his 3 Capitals idea, saying that all three regions would see development if they each get Capitals. Development comes to a place where there are more industries, more jobs, more people, more revenue, more money in circulation and more economic activity. The CM also said that Visakhapatnam is a better Executive Capital since it is a big city already and would require far lesser expenditure compared to Amaravati.

Analysts say that CM Jagan’s mutually contradictory statements are only contributing to greater confusion while it is a fact that Amravati would eventually end up like a protracted litigation just like Ayodhya tangle. Where a large number of people are involved, the litigation would naturally go in favour of them. Jagan Reddy should aim at winning the court battle rather than continuing his Government’s aggressive propaganda.

The 100 percent burning of Antarvedi Lakshminarasimha Swamy Temple chariot has triggered massive protests all over. In the face of rising agitation from the Hindu organisations and Opposition, the YSRCP Government has begun damage control efforts. Immediately, the Government has sanctioned Rs. 95 lakh for building a new chariot. This will be completed by February, 2021. So that the chariot would be ready for the next temple procession as part of the annual celebrations.

East Godavari District Collector Muralidhar Reddy has formed a committee with officials of endowments, fire, police and revenue officials to take up damage control measures. The ruling YSRCP, on its part, has taken a line that some anti-social elements were bent upon conspiring against the Jaganmohan Reddy Government. They were alleging that the anti-social elements entered the temple surroundings just a day after the TDP committee visited and blamed the Government’s failures for the fire.

The police officials took strong measures and made preventive house arrests of the BJP leaders at several places in East Godavari district today. This was in view of yesterday’s tension-filled atmosphere at Antarvedi temple when Hindu devotees and BJP leaders protested during the visit of YSRCP Ministers.

The AP Government’s all-out efforts to introduce reforms in the power distribution sector are solely intended to get clearance for making an additional Rs. 20,000 Cr loans. This would be possible only when the smart meters are fixed on agriculture connections to make sure that electricity distribution companies get their revenues without fail. The Central Government has put a condition for mandatorily implementing power reforms in order to give relaxations under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act to go for higher borrowings.

As of now, Andhra Pradesh like all other states can borrow just up to 3 per cent of its Gross State Domestic Product as per the FRBM Act. But in view of the Covid-induced financial stress, the Centre has agreed to increase borrowings limit by another 0.5 per cent. At the same time, the Centre put some conditions for the State if they want the borrowings limit to be increased from 3.5 per cent to 5 per cent. These conditions included power distribution reforms, universalisation of ration cards, urban local bodies revenues strengthening and better Ease of Doing Business performance.

Of these conditions, the power reforms are loaded with political consequences. Many states including Tamil Nadu objected to the conditions. But Andhra Pradesh came forward with a Direct Cash Transfer scheme to credit monthly bills amounts into the farmers’ accounts. This way, the Discoms can directly redeem their bills from the farmers’ dedicated accounts.

However, the question remains whether the Government would sincerely implement this once its purpose was served. No doubt, the farmers would lose their right to free power scheme once anything goes amiss.

A high-level ministerial meeting on comprehensive land survey is underway at the CM’s camp office in Tadepalli. The meeting chaired by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will discuss with ministers and officials on conducting comprehensive land survey in three phases and digitise the findings.

At a review meeting at his camp office in Tadepalli on Monday, Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the comprehensive land survey would be taken up at the village secretariat level and the data would be digitised to keep the record clean and transparent besides avoiding duplication.

The meeting is attended by deputy CM Dharmana Krishnadas, Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, chief principal advisor Ajay Kallam, Chief Commissioner of Land Administration special secretary Nirbhar Kumar Pratap and other top officials.

The officials explained to the CM the need for the survey due to the lack of digitisation. Mobile courts would be pressed into service to address any disputes or problems, they said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Kadapa district on September 1 on the eve of late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s death anniversary.

Officials have completed all arrangements. CM will depart from the Tadepalli Camp office at Gannavaram Airport on September 1. From there, a special flight will be available to Kadapa. The helicopter will fly from Kadapa Airport to Idupulapaya and subsequently leaves to guest house at YSR Estates.

Elaborate arrangements have been made for the ceremony being organised here tomorrow to mark the 11th death anniversary of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who was killed in a helicopter crash with four others in Kurnool district on September 2 in 2009.

The Chief Minister’s mother Y S Vijayalakshmi, sister Y S Sharmila and other family members will take part in the ceremony.

On July 7, Vijayalakshmi, who is the honorary president of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), released a book ‘Naalo…Naatho… YSR’ (Within me…With me, YSR). In the book, she recalled the life and times of her husband and the turn of events after his death in a helicopter crash on September 2, 2009.

The Andhra Pradesh government had constituted the AP Industrial Corridor Development Authority, APICD Board and an executive committee with effect from August 28.

Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy is appointed as chairman of the AP Industrial Development Corridor Development Authority while industries minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy will be acting as vice chairman for the same.

Chief Secretary, special Chief Secretary/Principal Secretaries-finance, revenue, municipal administration, water resources, energy and Panchayat Raj (PR) and other officials will be members of industrial corridor development authority.

The Andhra Pradesh government had proposed Rs 1,155.86 crore worth projects under the Visakhapatnam zone of the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) by the AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC).

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has finally talked about the Dalit tonsure case in the State. In a high level meeting with the officials, he said it was not correct that a person belonging to the weaker sections was treated without humanity. The CM told the officials his Government was taking such incidents very seriously. This was why the Government was not hesitating to put the policemen concerned in jail. This never happened in the past.

Mr. Jagan Reddy pointed out that his Government was giving great respect to the Dalit weaker sections. The Home Minister was a Dalit herself while the Director General of Police was an ST. Given the situation, incidents like the Sitanagaram tonsure incident in East Godavari should not have taken place. Hence, necessary orientation classes should be held for the police constables, ASIs and SIs. They should be taught to show humanity to the people and there should be no repetition of incidents like the tonsure case.

The Chief Minister told the officials that nobody should be treated as above law. This would be applicable to the Ministers, MLAs and the ruling party leaders. Strongest possible action should be taken to ensure that nobody would indulge in corruption anywhere in the State.

It may be recalled that recently, tonsure victim Vara Prasad wrote to the President seeking permission to join Naxalites as AP Government failed to ensure justice to him. The President responded and directly asked an AP official to submit a report on this. In this wake, the CM’s latest comments assumed a lot of significance.

CM Jaganmohan Reddy planned a grand celebration of Srisailam reservoir getting full with waters. He was scheduled to visit the dam site and hold elaborate puja there today. All of a sudden, the fire tragedy struck at the Srisailam hydel project. The Chief Minister’s Office had no choice but to get his visit cancelled at the last minute.

As per the plan, the CM was to take an aerial survey of the the flood waters in the Krishna River in Kurnool district after his puja at the dam. A review meeting with the Srisailam project engineers was planned at the dam site. The ruling party leaders planned lot of programs to get huge publicity for Jagan Reddy puja. There was lots of euphoria in the YSRCP on the dams getting filled with water.

With the fire mishap, the CM’s review meeting on the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project was also postponed. Actually, Jagan Reddy is going ahead with the project despite the objections raised by the Central Government. Only after the BJP made it an issue, KCR also objected to the Rayalaseema Lift project. Now, in the name of puja to Srisailam waters, the CM expected to once again get focus on his efforts to get Krishna waters to Rayalaseema region. In the past, KCR also repeatedly said that every nook and corner in Rayalaseema would get water if Telugu States cooperated with each other.