Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has announced plans to release a white paper on the construction of the State capital, Amaravati. During his visit to Amaravati on Thursday, Naidu emphasised the significant role that the farmers of Amaravati played in the long struggle for establishing the capital.
Addressing the media, Naidu highlighted Amaravati’s global recognition and its importance to Andhra Pradesh, along with the Polavaram project. He criticised the YSRCP government for halting the progress of these crucial projects over the past five years. According to Naidu, the completion of the Polavaram project would have greatly benefited the farmers, but both the capital and the Polavaram project were left in disarray under the YSRCP administration. Naidu expressed his distress over the current state of Amaravati, noting the theft of pipes, vandalism of roads, and stagnation of construction projects initiated during his tenure. He pointed out that the IAS complex is 80 percent complete and lamented the overgrowth of weeds in the secretarial bungalows, highlighting the halted progress of all iconic buildings in Amaravati. Stating that Amaravati is the public capital and Visakhapatnam the financial capital, Naidu reiterated his vision of making Kurnool a model city. He mentioned the establishment of 11 central government institutions in Andhra Pradesh, including Rayalaseema, and his plans for comprehensive development across the State. Criticising the YSRCP’s proposal for three capitals, he argued that a capital should be centrally located within the State. Naidu condemned the YSRCP leaders for tarnishing the voluntary land contributions made by farmers for the capital’s construction. He insisted that Amaravati was a self-financing project, but YSRCP’s mismanagement led to its downfall. He also accused the YSRCP government of incurring massive debts while failing to advance the State’s development. He specifically criticised the expenditure of Rs 500 crore on constructing a palace in Rushikonda against regulations and questioned the YSRCP’s right to remain in politics after causing such destruction.
Naidu took a vow to restore Andhra Pradesh’s former glory, despite the State’s current financial woes and undisclosed debt figures. He urged for transparency and accountability in government decisions and drew a parallel to Japan’s post-world war-II recovery, suggesting that Undavalli’s public venue, Praja Vedika, destroyed by the previous government, should be preserved as a reminder of the need for responsible governance.