The Concerned Citizens Forum, a body comprising former bureaucrats, scientists, advocates and those from other sections of society, is batting for the location of a new capital for Andhra Pradesh at a place where Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema meet, along the belt traversing Donakonda, Kurichedu, Konakalametla, Markapur, Pedda Aaraveedu, Darsi, Podili and Tripurantakam mandals.
Former Indian Police Service officer and Chairman, Telugu Praja Vedika, C. Anjaneya Reddy, is among those who are chipping in with their experience in the location of a capital for the State.
A delegation of the forum earlier met AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and explained their contention. The choice of Government land was simply because private land would be horrendously-expensive and because a new Government could not just mobilise the resources to acquire private land, they said.
Mr. Reddy sought to impress upon Mr. Naidu how most State capitals across the country were old cities that had evolved into their roles for historical reasons. People of Seemandhra he said, had a truncated State without a capital, thanks to the ‘realpolitik’ of the Congress party. He regretted that people had the dubious distinction of losing their capital city twice in less than a century, once in the 1950s to their Tamil cousins after building Madras and now Hyderabad to their Telangana brethren after contributing to elevate a medieval town into a world-city over half a century.
The body comprises among others, former Indian Police Service officer C. Anjaneya Reddy, former Chief Secretary K. Jayabharat Reddy, bureaucrat G. Kumaraswamy Reddy, former High Court Judge Gopal Rao, distinguished scientist Subhodananda Rao, medical practitioner Dr. Chandrayudu, advocate G.R. Reddy and former Chief Commissioner Income-Tax Sudhakar Reddy and other politicians from Ongole, Nellore and Rayalaseema districts.
The body has launched upon the endeavour of garnering support from political leaders and bring about a broad consensus, starting with Mr. Naidu, followed by the Leader of the Opposition in AP Legislative Assembly, Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, Pradesh Congress Committee President N. Raghuveera Reddy, apart from meeting representatives of the Communist Party of India and CPI-M too, in a phased manner.
On Tuesday, they called on Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy and sought his support to their proposal for a new capital city, explaining the reasons why they felt the location they suggested would be ideal. Mr. Reddy is said to have recalled that he had already spoken in the Legislative Assembly about the placement of a capital where about 30,000 to 35,000 acres of Government land was available. He assured them that he would take their proposal forward in any manner he could.
Source: The Hindu
