Govt likely to introduce 3 capitals bill again

Vijayawada: The winter session of the AP Assembly which would commence from Thursday is likely to take up several key issues, including introducing the revised three capitals bill.

This will also be the first Assembly session after the Cabinet reshuffle.

It is said that the government is keen on giving priority to discuss welfare schemes being implemented by the state government. The ministers concerned would speak at length on the schemes and show case how it had benefitted the targeted sections.

The session would be conducted for five days. It is learnt that more than 60 subjects will be on the agenda besides moving of several bills, including the CRDA 2014 amendment bill.

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is likely to focus more on explaining the necessity of three-capitals proposal. This assumes importance as the farmers of Amaravati had launched another padayatra from 'Amaravati to Arasavalli' opposing the move of the government to have three capitals. Once the session ends, the Chief Minister would be visiting Visakhapatnam. This has given credence to the statements by the Speaker of the Assembly and some ministers that Jagan was bent upon making Vizag as the executive capital.

Interestingly, the Union government in its agenda for the meeting of Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to discuss the issue of Central assistance to states as per the A P State Re-Organisation Act 2014 scheduled to be held on September 17 had included the subject of funds for the new capital. No where, did it mention the word three capitals. The official stand of the Centre is that it would provide funds only for the development of one capital. Earlier, the AP High Court had also said that the capital city of AP would be Amaravati. On the other hand, the TDP is gearing up to oppose the three-capitals bill.