LS clears Amaravati as AP’s sole capital
A bill to recognise Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh was passed by voice vote in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, putting to rest the debate of having three capitals in the State. It was supported unanimously by opposition except for YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
Once the bill becomes a law, Amaravati will be the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh with effect from June 2, 2024. The bill fulfils an aspiration of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose party TDP is a key constituent of the ruling NDA.
Responding to a nearly two-hour-long debate on the Bill, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai thanked the members for supporting an State Assembly resolution that urged the Union Government to provide legal backing to Amaravati as the Andhra Pradesh capital.
Earlier, initiating the debate on the bill, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said his party fully supports the legislation but wants special status for Andhra Pradesh. “Let Amaravati develop like Bengaluru, Chennai or Hyderabad. Let Vishakhapatnam, Tirupati and Kurnool also develop. We support Amaravati as the permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
Participating in the debate, TDP member and Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani appealed to the House to pass the bill unanimously as it will ensure a permanent capital for Andhra Pradesh.
Supporting the bill, BJP member C M Ramesh said this is the first time in the history of independent India that a bill has been brought to Parliament to declare a particular place as the capital of a state.
During his tenure as chief minister, YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced that Andhra Pradesh would have three capitals - administrative capital at Visakhapatnam, legislative capital at Amaravati and judicial capital at Kurnool — instead of a single capital city at Amaravati. After N Chandrababu Naidu returned to power in 2024, he announced that Amaravati would be the sole capital of the state.
YSR Congress Party strongly opposed the legislation. YSRCP member P V Midhun Reddy said 34,000 acres were acquired by the state government for the development of Amaravati as the capital with the promise of giving free developed plots, a housing scheme and free education for the children of the affected people. However, nothing has been given to them so far.
According to the Bill circulated among Lok Sabha members, the provisions of the 2014 Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act provide that on and from the appointed day, Hyderabad will be the common capital for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a period not exceeding 10 years.
After which, Hyderabad will be the capital of Telangana, and there will be a new capital for the successor state of Andhra Pradesh. After the reorganisation law came into being, the Andhra Pradesh government, “after due consideration, consultation, and planning, identified and notified ‘Amaravati’ as the new capital of that state,” the bill noted.
Once the bill becomes an Act, Amravati will be legally recognised as the capital of Andhra Pradesh with effect from June 2, 2024. It said significant administrative and legislative measures have been undertaken, besides the infrastructural developments in and around Amaravati, with the objective of establishing it as the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
It observed that on March 28, the state legislative assembly passed a resolution requesting the Centre to amend Section 5 of the Reorganisation Act to incorporate the name of “Amaravati” as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh.
