Tension in Amaravati as crucial Cabinet meet on capital today

Amaravati: High tension prevails in the Amaravati capital region on the eve of the crucial Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held on Friday. Protests continued in the 29 villages of the capital region opposing the proposal of the government to shift capital to Visakhapatnam.

At one village, a farmer who gave four acres of land for the capital attempted suicide, but the police prevented him. Police clamped Section 144 and has mobilised force to prevent any untoward incident on Friday in case the Cabinet announces its decision to shift the capital to Visakhapatnam.

Some TDP leaders like Member of Parliament from Vijayawada Kesineni Nani were kept under house arrest. Meanwhile, BJP state president Kanna Lakshminarayana announced that they will hold silent protest at the place where Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for the capital.

Notwithstanding all these developments, the indications are that the government would go ahead with its proposal to shift capital to Visakhapatnam. At the most the cabinet may decide to constitute a cabinet sub-committee to suggest on how to develop Amaravati and address the grievances of the farmers.

This indication was available from what the YSRCP leaders told media after the meeting they had with Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday evening. It is also possible that the cabinet may decide to return the money paid by the IAS, IPS and other HoDs for purchasing housing land in Amaravati.

Talking to media after the meeting with Chief Minister, party leader Ambati Rambabu said that former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu spent more than Rs 5,000 crore on "Temporary Capital" at Amaravati and if the project as planned by was to be completed, it would require Rs 1.1 lakh crore.

The state government is not able to spend that much amount. It would like to have a capital with minimum investment and utilise the available resources for irrigation and overall development of the state.

That is why they have opted in favour of the recommendations of G N Rao committee recommendations. "We will develop the existing lands and region in other manner, like industrial region or IT hub or education hub or some other development activity will be initiated," he added.