Reddy said that the Constitution does not define the term “capital”, hence any place where the chief minister and the executive function from can serve as a capital. He also criticised Naidu’s push for building the greenfield capital city.
Photo: IANS
Even as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was trying to seek statutory status for Amaravati from the Centre, Opposition leader and YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has termed the push for the capital city insane, criticising the move as financially unviable. The TDP lashed out at the former chief minister, saying despite being routed in the elections, he continued to criticise the new capital.
Reddy said that the Constitution does not define the term “capital”, hence any place where the chief minister and the executive function from can serve as a capital. He also criticised Naidu’s push for building the greenfield capital city. “In the initial first phase, you (Naidu) said you wanted 50,000 acres. And you require Rs 2 crore per acre to lay roads, supply electricity, water and connect them with a sewerage system. And to provide this, your own DPR says you require Rs 2 crore per acre, probably because of your scams. You and your benamis have procured land over here (Amaravati), so you have decided to set up the capital here,” he alleged.
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He went on to claim, “God knows when or how this Rs 1 lakh crore is going to come. Now, you want to add another 50,000 acres, which will cost another Rs 1 lakh crore. So, you are talking about Rs 2 lakh crore. What kind of insanity is this when the first 50,000 acres have not been developed?”
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He also pointed out that the chief minister was building the capital in a river basin, where sewerage connections and everything would have to be set up from scratch with no electricity or water.
The TDP in turn slammed the former chief minister, saying despite facing a massive defeat Reddy has again betrayed thousands of farmers who gave up their land voluntarily by his statements.
Naidu recently met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking statutory status for Amaravati from the Centre. After Reddy abandoned Amaravati for five years between 2019 – 2024, Naidu is keen to get the statutory status to ensure the capital does not face the same fate again.
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