Assembly passes resolution seeking Amaravati as capital

 Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Saturday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to grant statutory recognition to Amaravati as the capital of the state, marking a significant step toward securing its legal status.

The resolution seeks an amendment to Section 5(2) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act to incorporate the phrase “at Amaravati”, thereby explicitly naming the capital in the statute. It also proposes extending the capital’s jurisdiction to areas notified under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority, aiming to remove existing legal ambiguity.

The resolution, upon adoption, has been forwarded to the Centre. Assembly Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu sent copies to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and separately to the Union Home Minister. The Assembly Secretariat has also communicated the resolution to the Union Home Secretary and the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who moved the resolution, described Amaravati as the “soul” of Andhra Pradesh and asserted that the capital’s status was irreversible.

He reiterated that the State would have only one capital and said no force could alter or relocate it. “No one can touch this capital or move it even by an inch. Andhra Pradesh has only one capital, and that is Amaravati,” he said emphatically.

Launching a strong political attack, Naidu accused the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of consistently maintaining a stance against Amaravati and engaging in “conspiracies and shifting positions”.

“They say the word ‘capital’ does not exist in the Constitution. Do they have a separate Constitution? The country follows the Constitution framed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar,” Naidu said.

The Chief Minister also referred to the Sivaramakrishnan Committee recommendations, noting that a significant section of the population had favoured the Vijayawada–Guntur region for the capital after bifurcation.

Naidu said Amaravati would be developed as a “blue and green” city, making it a major economic engine for the State. He highlighted that around 34,000 acres were pooled from farmers for the project, describing it as a foundational contribution to the State’s future. “I bow my head to the farmers who gave their lands for the capital.

What they have given is not land, but the future of the state,” he observed.

The Chief Minister said the government aims to complete key infrastructure works by 2027–28 and asserted that large-scale developmental activity has resumed, with multiple projects currently under execution.

“We will build Amaravati as a city that the entire nation will be proud of,” he said.

The Chief Minister also positioned Amaravati within a broader regional development framework, stating that Visakhapatnam and Tirupati would be developed alongside the capital to ensure balanced growth.

Naidu placed the capital issue within a broader historical narrative, referring to repeated shifts in capitals for Telugu people, from Kurnool to Hyderabad and now Amaravati, following state reorganisation phases in 1953, 1956 and 2014. He also contrasted Amaravati’s vision with Hyderabad’s growth, citing the latter as an example of long-term economic planning and execution.