Rediff said it first: Andhra's new capital to be Vijaywada

The Chandrababu Naidu government on Thursday formally announced in the state assembly that Andhra Pradesh's new capital will be built “in and around Vijayawada”.  The chief minister said he would develop three mega cities and other small cities around the capital.

Rediff.com was the first to report the story on May 18.

Putting an end to months of suspense, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday announced that the new capital of the state would be located "around Vijayawada".

Making a statement in the legislative assembly amid a din caused by opposition YSR Congress, Naidu said, "The cabinet met on September 1 and resolved to locate the capital city in a central place of the state, around Vijayawada, and go for decentralised development of the state with three mega cities and 14 smart cities.

"It is proposed to go for land pooling system to be worked out by a cabinet sub-committee," he said. "This decision of the cabinet is a reflection of the popular sentiment, and is affirmed by views expressed in the representations received by the Sivaramakrishnan Committee (appointed by the Centre)," he said.

"Nearly 50 per cent of the representations received by the committee favoured Vijayawada-Guntur region as the best location for the capital area," Chandrababu said.

The state government, as resolved by the cabinet, was of the opinion that the interests of the entire state and its balanced development could be best served by locating the capital city at a central place around Vijayawada. This would enable equal access to people from all regions of the state, he observed.

Before Naidu made a statement on the issue, adamant MLAs of the YSR Congress stalled the proceedings demanding that the House first discuss the Sivaramakrishnan Committee report on the location of a new state capital.

The House had to be adjourned twice for 15 and 10 minutes respectively as the opposition legislators remained in the Well, holding placards and raising slogans for a discussion on the subject.

Though Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, Legislative Affairs Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, other ministers and Telugu Desam Party MLAs found fault with the YSRC's conduct, the opposition members remained adamant on their demand.

"You can't dictate terms to the House. It runs as per rules and procedures. You can take part in the discussion and express your views," the Speaker told the agitating members but to no avail.

Image: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu