Lokesh objects to CM's remarks on HC judgement

Vijayawada: TDP national general secretary N Lokesh on Thursday objected to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's observations on court judgments in the Assembly. He said the Chief Minister was apparently trying to misguide and mislead the public on the recent order given by the High Court regarding 3 capitals. Addressing a press conference on the premises of Assembly, Lokesh reminded the CM that the court had only gone by the AP Reorganisation Act that was passed in the Parliament. There was no provision for creating 3 capitals in the Act. As such, neither the AP government nor the state Assembly had any power to overlook it.

He said the Reorganisation Act had clearly mentioned 'a Capital' for Andhra Pradesh but not multiple capitals. The Reorganisation Act was a Parliamentary Act. An amendment would have to be made to this Act if the state government was very particular about multiple capitals. Only the Parliament would have that power or authority to form 3 capitals.

The TDP leader deplored that though the laws were crystal clear on the AP capital, the state ministers and YSRCP MLAs were making meaningless comments. He asserted that Chandrababu Naidu's policy had been always for decentralised development with a focused administration from one single capital. Amaravati should remain the one and only capital for AP.

Lokesh said the YSRCP was putting forth an illogical argument that more capitals would bring more development. In that case, they could as well form capitals in all the 175 Assembly constituencies. The TDP government functioned from one capital but brought Kia to Anantapur, cell phone companies in Chittoor district, cement industries in Kurnool, aquaculture in Godavari districts, Data Centre in Vizag and HCL at Gannavaram. He dismissed the YSRCP claims that cheap liquor brands began flooding the state during the Naidu rule.