When residual Andhra Pradesh shifted to new capital Amaravati

Ending a year-long uncertainty over the fate of Amaravati, the state-of-the-art new capital city of Andhra Pradesh, the Chandrababu Naidu government  successfully shifted its base from Hyderabad to the interim government complex, built within a record 221 days in Velagapudi village, on Vijayadashami day.

The move was significant for the state, bifurcated through an Act in 2014, as it was stripped of its capital, secretariat, Assembly and high court. A stubborn Naidu rented a house on the banks of the river Krishna and monitored the construction of the temporary complex built by L&T and Shapoorji Palonji at a cost of Rs 201 crore.

A jubilant Naidu, who has started working from the Chief Minister’s Office built in Velagapudi, is firm on conducting the Winter Session of the state Legislative Assembly in the interim-assembly built within the same complex.

Maoist resurgence

It was in the month of January 2016 that the Maoists, who took a severe beating in the past, reorganised and successfully made their first kill in Visakhapatnam by hunting down a local TDP leader, Sagina Venkata Ramana. By the end of November, Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) and Telangana-Chhattisgarh border witnessed revival of Maoist activity and a spurt in fear among the tribal people.

An encounter in which 30 Maoists were killed in Malkangiri area has once again proved that the Maoist threat is far from over. Even as Maoists started bumping off police informers, they are said to be on the lookout for a change in their top leadership by finding a replacement for RK alias Ramakrishna.

The state also witnessed a rise in caste-based violence, following a call given by Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham of West Godavari district demanding reservation for Kapus, a progressive but agrarian caste in the state. It was on January 31 that the agitating Kapu activists torched Ratnachal Express train near Tuni.