GN Rao panel suggested Vizag as Executive Capital: Deputy CM Basha

Amaravati: Deputy CM Amzath Basha Shaik Bepari said that the GN Rao committee suggested Visakhapatnam as Executive capital, in a press conference at Tadepalli in Guntur district on Thursday.

He criticised that TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu promoted false propaganda against the GN Rao committee suggestions. Deputy CM said that "GN Rao Committee suggesting Visakhapatnam was not suitable for the capital city is false propaganda of Chandrababu Naidu".

Basha added that the committee report should be read properly before criticizing it.

He recalled that Chandrababu Naidu had previously said Visakhapatnam was a great city and could be the second capital city of the country.

Lambasting TDP supremo's comments that Visakhapatnam was not suitable for the capital city, he asked, "Don't Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have their capital cities on the sea coast?". Chandrababu Naidu was adamant about Amaravati being the capital city and hence trying to project the GN Rao committee report in a bad light, he criticised.

Chandrababu Naidu wanted only Amaravati to be developed. Whereas, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was keen on developing all the regions in the State, said Basha.

He said that decentralization was for the development of backward regions in North Andhra and Rayalaseema. TDP was against decentralization and hence ignored the Sivaramakrishnan Committee report and brought out the Narayana committee report to foster its own ends.

The backwardness of North Andhra and Rayalaseema regions was also mentioned in the Sivaramakrishnan committee report, he said.

Basha added that the decision on decentralization was taken after the GN Rao committee report was thoroughly discussed by the High Power Committee. In this press conference, the YSRCP MLA Mohammad Abdul Hafeez Khan also participated.