3-capitals policy for Andhra irrational: CPI leader

CPI national secretary K Narayana on Saturday described as irrational the three capitals concept and advised Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to stop playing with the sentiments of the people and the future of the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Narayana said Amaravati was most suited and convenient to people of all the three regions as it was centrally-located .

Stating that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was witness to the bhoomi pooja for the capital at Amaravati, Narayana said shifting of the capital would be nothing but insulting the Prime Minister.

He said Jagan Mohan Reddy as the leader of opposition had hailed the decision to locate the capital at Amaravati and it was not fair to go back on his word by taking a different stand.

Referring to the arguments of the ruling party members that Rs 1.20 lakh crore was required for developing Amaravati as the state capital, Narayana saidit did not require external funding as the large extent of lands pooled up were adequate to meet the expenditure. "I fully justify the stand of former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu that Amaravati could be developed as a self- financing project he said. However, he blamed Naidu for turning a deaf ear to their suggestion at the initial stages that capital could be located near Nagarjuna university area by making best use of the buildings of engineering colleges.

He reiterated his stand that three capitals policy was detrimental to the state's interests and likely to spark off regional feelings and agitations.

Jagan Mohan Reddy had indicated on December 17 that Andhra Pradesh could have three capitals as decentralisation was a real concept. The existing capital Amaravati, which is only in the basic stages of development could become the "Legislative Capital", port city Visakhapatnam the "Executive Capital" and Kurnool the "Judiciary Capital", he had said.