A report carried by Sakshi Telugu daily on Thursday stating that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre has returned the proposed bill of the Andhra Pradesh government headed by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu to get statutory status to Amaravati has created ripples in the political circles.
The Naidu government was hoping that the bill, which seeks to amend the AP Reorganisation Act, 2024, declaring Amaravati as the only capital of Andhra Pradesh, would be passed in the ongoing winter session of Parliament, as the amendment is crucial for the state to get certain loans cleared and also get the case resolved in the Supreme Court.
As Sakshi report became the talking point, Union minister of state for rural development and communications Pemmasani Chandrasekhar held a press conference in New Delhi to give clarification on why the passage of the bill was getting delayed.
He asserted that the Central government is committed to introducing the Amaravati Capital Bill either in the ongoing Parliament session or the next.
He clarified that certain technical issues dating back to 2014 were causing delays in formally recognising Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
He said Naidu was personally monitoring the bill and that thousands of people were currently engaged in Amaravati’s development.
The minister strongly criticised Sakshi daily owned by YSRSCP president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, was obstructing the capital project and misleading the public.
He said the current delays in Parliament were linked to “minor technical obstacles” related to when Amaravati should legally be recognised as the capital—from 2014 or from 2024.
He further highlighted that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had recently laid the foundation for 16 national institutions in Amaravati and that other projects, including HUDCO offices, a CAG building, a postal complex, central universities, and major highways, were progressing.
According to Sakshi report, the Centre has raised legal concerns about backdating the capital status to 2014.
Recognising Amaravati as the capital retrospectively could trigger financial and judicial complications, given that funds had been spent on capital works since then.
The Centre reportedly asked the state government to reissue the notification with proper legal justification.
Officials said that the Centre questioned how Amaravati could be notified as capital from 2014 when, under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Hyderabad was designated the joint capital for ten years (until 2024).
According to them, under Section 5 of the Act, Hyderabad remains joint capital for ten years and AP will establish a new capital with Central financial support.
Sources suggest that unless the Andhra Pradesh government addresses these legal inconsistencies, the Amaravati bill may not move forward smoothly in Parliament—potentially dampening hopes that it will pass during the ongoing session.
