Andhra Pradesh: Jagan meets Narendra Modi, seeks support for his 3 capital plan

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy has on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the central government’s support for his three-capital plan.

The meeting is a first after Reddy made a firm move stripping his predecessor Chandrababu Naidu planned Amaravati of its mega capital status.

Among a list of his 10 requirements handed over to Modi in New Delhi, Reddy explains the need for a three-capital structure for the state.

“Our government is committed to remove the regional growth imbalances and achieve inclusive development. For this, we have formulated decentralized administration and distributed capitals plan,” Reddy said.

Two bills intended to achieve the purpose were passed last month in the state Assembly, where YSRCP has an absolute majority but are stonewalled in the council where TDP holds power. The Reddy government then got a resolution passed by the Assembly to abolish the council and has sent it to the centre a few days back for further course.

“The developments lately show that the council which should operate for the public good, better governance is working in contradiction and is stalling bills from a democratically elected government. We request you to direct the law ministry to further process the resolution the state Assembly had passed for council abolition with two thirds majority,” Reddy said.

Since Reddy’s plan includes shifting of the judiciary i.e., the High Court to Kurnool, he requested the PM to direct the law ministry in this regard too.

A CMO official stated the PM response was positive to the requests in the one-and-half-hour meeting.

The Modi government, which had a bitter breakup with TDP’s Naidu a year before the 2019 general elections, has already indicated its acquiescence to Jagan’s plans of dismantling Amaravati. The home ministry has in Parliament last week stated the centre as uninvolved in a state’s selection of its capital location.

Pointing to the 15th finance commission making an observation that the centre can take a call on special category status, Reddy reiterated Andhra Pradesh’s demand for SCS. The CM requested pending funds of Rs 3320 crore towards reimbursement of works on the Polavaram national project, apart from the Rs 18969 crore towards filling the state’s revenue deficit.