Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday said the state capital will be shifted to Visakhapatnam from its present capital city Amravati.
While speaking at the preparatory meeting for the Global Investors Summit to be held in Visakhapatnam in March, Reddy said he would also be shifting his office to the port city in the coming months.
The three capital legislation
After Jagan Mohan Reddy took over in 2019, the state government wanted to have three capitals-Visakhapatnam-Executive Capital, Amaravati-Legislative capital and Kurnool-Judicial capital and passed an appropriate legislation.
The Jagan Mohan Reddy government passed a Bill in the Assembly in November last year, repealing the controversial AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020, which was intended to establish three capitals for the state.
Without putting any timeframe, Jagan, speaking on the floor of the Assembly said the government would come out with a "comprehensive, complete and better" Bill after plugging loopholes in the previous version.
High Court ruling on the three capital legislation
In March last year, the Andhra Pradesh High Court ruled against the three capitals and directed the government to develop Amaravati as the state capital as envisaged.
The Court also in its verdict on March 3, 2022 said the state Legislature lacked competence to make any legislation for shifting, bifurcating or trifurcating the capital.
State govt moves Supreme Court
The state government filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court Order.
The High Court also set timelines for the development of Amaravati.
Several ministers have been categorically saying that the government would come up with a new Bill on the three capitals issue, the ongoing litigation in the Supreme Court notwithstanding.
The Global Investors Summit
Jagan further said the State Government is organising the Global Investors Summit in Visakhapatnam on March 3 and 4 and requested the corporate community to take part in the meet and invest in the State.
(with inputs from agencies)
