A CAPITAL GETS READY

CM JAGAN IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE SC'S DECEMBER DECISION AND IS, THEREFORE, SHIFTING HIS OFFICE FOR A START

- Amarnath K. Menon

Nearly a decade after knowing it would lose Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh is finally set to move into its own capital. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is all ready to operate from Visakhapatnam as the state’s administrative headquarters. This momentous shift, set to begin on Dussehra on October 23, auspicious for new beginnings, will see Jagan move into an office in the port city overlooking the Bay of Bengal. At a cabinet meeting on September 20, the CM ordered constitution of the committees that would expedite the shifting process and ensure a smooth transition.

For over three years, Jagan has advocated this move as part of his ambitious three-capital plan, but legal obstacles have impeded progress. The Andhra Pradesh High Court ruled that the state government lacked the legislative authority to decide on the capital’s relocation and mandated the timebound development of Amaravati. The government challenged the decision in the Supreme Court, which is expected to address these matters in December.

Meanwhile, the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) is eager to complete the relocation by the year-end, signalling its commitment to decentralised development. This is with an eye on the 2024 summer elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly. By opening the Chief Minister’s Office in Visakhapatnam ahead of the mass move, Jagan aims to demonstrate his unwavering resolve to the decision. The three-capital plan was conceived with the hope that the spread of governance activities would stimulate equitable development across Andhra Pradesh, with Amaravati retaining its role as the legislative capital and Kurnool designated as the judicial capital.