Cabinet to ratify GN Rao Recommendations

Amaravati: While ratifying the GN Rao Committee recommendations on establishing three capitals, the AP Cabinet likely to constitute a cabinet subcommittee to address the grievances of farmers at Amaravati capital city who sacrificed their lands to the AP CRDA for construction of the world-class capital here.

The Cabinet is scheduled to commence on December 27, at 11 am at Secretariat. It is also informed that, the cabinet likely to discuss the ongoing protests of the public in the 29 villages of the capital region and other areas. The sources in the CMO informed that the cabinet will also approve the proposals for allocation of land for various institutions in this meeting.

After approving the GN Rao Committee recommendations, the government will give assurance to the protesting farmers here, informed a senior leader in the ruling party.

At the same time, the government has been contemplating to take a decision to return the money invested by IAS and IPS officials for purchasing the housing lands from CRDA.

On the other hand, the police tightened the security for the cabinet meeting. The police also warned the Mandadam villagers not to allow any outsiders into their houses or premises, other than their family members. Further, the police have not allowed anybody into the village, in view of the cabinet meeting. This village is geographically located at a strategic point, through which all the vehicles from Vijayawada and Guntur have to move to the Secretariat at Velagapudi. Hence, the police have been worrying a lot over the ongoing agitations in the village.

Reacting to the appeal of the police, the agitating villagers at Mandadam have announced that they have been doing their protests in a peaceful manner and they will allow the government authorities and ministers to visit the Secretariat to attend the cabinet meeting. They have announced that the protest venue from the village will be shifted to the place where Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for construction of the capital city, that is Uddandarayunipalem.

When these developments are taking place like this, the BJP AP President Kanna Lakshminarayana announced that he will stage one hour silence protest at Uddandarayunipalem, between 8.30 am to 9.30 am on Friday, against the state government's decision of bifurcating the capital city. He observed that it was nothing but cheating the farmers, who gave their lands for the state government to construct the capital. This capital is the capital of all people in the state but not the capital of 29 villages farmers alone, he observed.

The TDP too announced that if the state government will take any adverse decision on the very existence of the Amaravati in the cabinet meeting, then the party will call for a statewide bandh on December 28. Speaking to media, former Minister and TDP leader Prathipati Pullarao announced this.