YSRCP keen to make Vizag administrative capital: MP Bharat

Rajamahendravaram (East Godavari District): MP Margani Bharat Ram said that the YSRCP government is firm to make Visakhapatnam as administrative capital. He said that a meeting with the intellectuals of various fields will be held at Manjeera Convention Hall in Rajahmundry on October 3 to get their opinion on this. Speaking to the media here on Friday, the MP said that so far the Andhra people had developed Chennai and Hyderabad only to lose them to other States. The previous TDP government had decided to make Amaravati the capital but did nothing during its five years of rule.

Informing that it will cost about Rs 30 lakh crore to fully develop Amaravati as the capital, the MP made it clear that the new State and its government cannot spend so much. He clarified his government feels that there is a need for three capital cities based on past experiences and noted that Visakhapatnam has all the favourable conditions to make it as the executive capital and that 20% of the money spent on Amaravati will be enough for this. He said that Visakhapatnam will develop like Mumbai.

Bharat said that there is nothing wrong in renaming the Health University after former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy and its the right thing to do.

He said that former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu did not build even a single medical college during the TDP regime, while 11 medical colleges came up during the YSR regime. Now, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy is establishing 16 medical colleges in the State, he reminded. Did TDP at least said 'thank you' when Jagan showed his admiration for NTR by naming the district after NTR, he questioned. MP Ram said that this shows that Jagan has real respect and admiration for NTR and reminded that it was the YSRCP, which asked Bharat Ratna to be given for NTR.