Kurnool still yearns for capital city

Kurnool: The contentious issue of capital city for Andhra Pradesh came to the centre-stage yet again with AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy indicating that the Greenfield capital of Amaravati would be toned down and the State would have three capitals, including executive capital in Visakhapatnam and judicial capital in Kurnool.

Farmers, who surrendered their land for Amaravati, are up in arms against the government while people in Visakhapatnam are jubilant.

But people in Kurnool which enjoyed capital city status from three years from 1953 are silent. Does that mean that people from Kurnool doesn't want capital city? The answer to this question is a resounding 'no'.

They are still yearning for the capital city. That's what The Hans India's interaction with various people since Monday revealed. But they resigned to their fate as they strongly feel that they don't have any strong political leader who can fight and bring capital city to Kurnool.

"After Hyderabad, Kurnool has the best and stable climate conditions. It has all the features that are needed for a safe capital city. Furthermore, our city was capital for Andhra State for three years.

The city has been grossly neglected after capital was shifted to Hyderabad. In Sribagh pact too, Rayalaseema has the right to choose capital.

Still, Kurnool was not in the reckoning when Andhra Pradesh scouted for new capital and chose Amaravati after Hyderabad went to Telangana in the bifurcation. That's unfortunate.

Political leaders should take the blame," Venkat Rao, a senior advocate and resident of Kurnool, told The Hans India.

Kurnool became the capital for Andhra State, which was carved out of Madras Presidency, on October 1, 1953.

But its dream run did not last long as the city had to surrender the coveted capital city status three years and one month later on October 31, 1956, to Hyderabad, the capital of united Andhra Pradesh that was formed through the merger of Andhra and Telangana states.

There was murmur about the demand for capital city for Kurnool nearly 58 years later when Andhra and Telangana parted ways and Hyderabad went to Telangana in 2014. These murmurs were nipped in the bud with TDP government led by Nara Chandrababu Naidu opting for Greenfield capital city in Amaravati.

Sattanna, a farmer from a village near Kurnool, feels that farmers would benefit a lot and prices of their lands will appreciate if capital city comes to Kurnool. "We have many buildings in the city now, which were used for offices when the capital city was here.

These buildings have been converted into colleges later. Capital city had been snatched away from us and taken to Hyderabad. From there, it went to Amaravati. Now, Jagan Mohan Reddy wants to shift it to Visakhapatnam," he said.

He blamed weak political leadership for Kurnool for not getting the capital city now when the government is planning to shift it from Amaravati.

"We have no hopes of Kurnool becoming capital city as there is not even a single political leader who can fight for it," he said.

Bojja Dasaratha Rami Reddy, president, Rayalaseema Saguneeti Sadhana Samithi, maintained that Rayalaseema has the first right to take capital city.

"We will demand shifting of capital to Kurnool if the AP government establishes High Court benches in Amaravati and Visakhapatnam as mentioned in recent times.

That move will dilute the concept of judicial capital and reduce the proposed AP High Court in Kurnool to a bench," he pointed out.