The TDP North Coastal Andhra leaders are slipping out of the party one by one. Now, TDP Visakhapatnam Urban President Rahaman has resigned from the party post and membership in protest against Chandrababu Naidu’s decision. Rahaman, who is a senior leader, expressed support to the CM Jaganmohan Reddy’s Three Capitals proposal. He is stated to be unhappy with the TDP leadership for a long time. The prospects of making Vizag Administrative Capital of AP have made Rahaman take the final decision to quit the party.
This is the first time an important TDP leader has resigned since Jagan announced Capital shifting. TDP Vizag North MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao has also welcomed the making of Vizag as Executive Capital but he asked for justice to be done to the Amaravati farmers. Most leaders of all opposition parties in North Coastal Andhra are giving mixed reactions. At the same time, some leaders are expressing concern that the peaceful atmosphere in Vizag would be disturbed if it becomes Capital. Already, there are rumours that YCP leaders have grabbed huge tracts of lands in Kapuluppada and Bheemili areas where Secretariat and CM Camp Office are coming up. It is amid this that YCP is attracting leaders from the Opposition parties in a bid to get total domination in North Coastal Andhra by using the Capital sentiment.
Decentralization of administration for the growth of all regions in the state in a balanced way is a good policy but the present recommendations of the committee and YSRCP leaders out bursts on this show it is all “Eyewash”. Bheemili/Vijag is the YSRCP’s real estate Capital of AP while TDP’s real estate capital of AP is Amaravati. Now, nor surprisingly, local TDP leaders are supporting the choice of Vijag as they hold thousands of acres of land.
The Executive Capital at Vijag which is far away from Anantapur is over loaded with around 75% of Capital activities while the other two Capitals [really they are not Capitals, Vijag is the Capital of AP] get around 25% of Capital activities only. By this YSRCP is doing the same mistake as that of TDP. Both think Capital means “Real Estate”. Both Amaravati and Bheemili suffer from the point of environment and as well land litigations – inside trading at Amaravati and SIT enquiry on land deals, pollution and as well it is an adda to anti-social activities in Vijag.
• From the judicial capital, separate benches were allocated to Amaravati and Visakhapatnam but from the activities of the other two capitals, none were allocated to Kurnool capital;
• From legislative capital summer assembly sessions were allocated to Vijag – very horrible time in Visakhapatnam but no such provision was given to Kurnool like winter assembly sessions. However, division of assembly sessions is a bad idea;
• From executive capital none were separated. Why? For example irrigation and mining departments could be located in Kurnool; municipal administration could be located in Amaravati; etc. without effecting the executive capital functioning;
Now unemployed politicians from Rayalaseema once again raised the “Greater Rayalaseema”. Unfortunately they have no idea basically on water. Linking of Rivers is the only solution to get water to Greater Rayalaseema region.
From all the media reports, it is clear that there will not be three capitals but only one Capital at Vijag, a very bad idea; instead the best choice is to have Capital at Amaravati in DRY AREAS.
In view of all these it is essential to take balanced act on the distribution of activities among the three the so-called capitals instead overloading executive capital city or one Capital at Amaravati in dry areas. Otherwise it seriously affects YSRCP’s fortunes in the next elections as Kurnool and Amaravati are infructuous Capitals – only on paper.
Dr. S. Jeevananda Reddy