AP CM tries to convince farmers on establishing 3 capitals

: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday reiterated his governments determination to establish three capitals of the state and maintained that justice was being done to all three regions by this.

The Chief Minister spoke to a group of farmers from four villages in Mangalagiri Assembly constituency that form part of Amaravati region, even as the Amaravati Joint Action Committee took its fight to New Delhi to prevail upon the Centre against the state governments move to relocate the capital.

When I sit in the CMs chair, I have to think like a father. There are no drains, roads and other infrastructure in Amaravati region and we need to spend Rs 2 crore per acre for creating the infrastructure. Whats the benefit if we spend Rs one lakh crore on a region where nothing tangible could be seen, Jagan asked the farmers.

It would rather be prudent to spend 10 per cent of that amount in developing Visakhapatnam, which would be the executive capital of the state, the Chief Minister added.

He, however, sought to assure the farmers that Amaravati would continue to be the legislative capital while Kurnool would be the judicial capital.

That way, justice will be done to all three regions (Rayalaseema, north-coastal Andhra and coastal Andhra) of the state. No injustice is being done to anyone, Jagan asserted, seeking to mollify farmers of Amaravati who have been agitating for over 40 days against the move to relocate the capital.

Interestingly, the farmers who were taken to the Chief Minister by local MLA A R K Reddy were indeed known YSR Congress supporters and had refused to part with their lands for the capital development during the previous regime.

The farmers alleged the previous government used various coercive tactics to make them fall in line and some farmers gave in.

Now, there is no work for hundreds of farmhands, who hitherto used to earn at least Rs 400-500 a day, they said.

They wanted the government to withdraw the notification for land acquisition in Undavalli, Penumaka, Nidamarru and Tadepalli and also disband the Capital Region Development Authority.

In a press release, the Chief Minister promised the farmers that developmental works would be taken up in the villages in the next 2-3 months.

Along with Tadepalli and Mangalagiri municipalities, developmental works will be taken up in these villages as well. Suggest two or three major works per village so that they can be taken up on priority, he said.