All eyes on Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: The move to make Visakhapatnam as the capital is not new but decades old when the Justice Wanchoo Committee favoured the destination as the best suited for the capital city.

Back then, the successive governments did not pay much heed to the demand due to the absence of foresight despite the other committees giving a thumbs-up for Visakhapatnam being conducive for the capital. After a long gap, the YSRCP government has now favoured decentralisation with Amaravati as the legislative capital, Visakhapatam as the executive capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital. Endowed with required infrastructure, the non-political Joint Action Committee (JAC) recommended the port city as an apt destination for the executive capital. With a minimum investment, they say, Vizag could be developed along the lines of Mumbai or Hyderabad.

Defining it as an opportunity for the people of Andhra Pradesh to propel growth and undo mistakes committed by the successive governments, JAC chairman Lajpathi Rai opines, "For long, injustice has been meted out to Rayalaseema and North Andhra regions. Now, it's high time to rework towards it through decentralisation. The three capitals move should be viewed beyond political parties' angle as the future of the state is largely dependent on it."

In order to garner the support for the three capitals, the Joint Action Committee is all set to host a massive rally 'Visakha Garjana' on Saturday.

Terming the garjana as a collective fight of the people of Andhra Pradesh, Industries and IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath stated that the battle is for the future generations of the state. "Vizag welcomed people from diverse backgrounds with open arms. The City of Destiny reflects cultural diversity and it's where renowned poets and intellectuals had come from. Even earlier, multiple committees recommended Vizag as the capital as a favourable destination in every aspect," Amarnath recalls. With a sole agenda of decentralisation, the YSRCP leaders reiterate that the state government favours balanced and equal development and nothing could stop them from working towards realising it.