Amaravati

A special session of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was convened on Saturday to deliberate on the long-pending capital issue. Moving the resolution, Naidu stressed that years of uncertainty surrounding Amaravati could only be resolved through clear legal backing. He stated that permanent clarity would require specific amendments to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

The Assembly formally resolved to request the Government of India to amend Section 5 of the Act by explicitly inserting the words at Amaravati into sub-section (2). The move is aimed at ensuring that Amaravati is legally recognised as the sole capital of the state.

Additionally, the resolution proposes expanding the legal definition of Amaravati to include all areas notified under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014. This clarification is intended to remove ambiguity regarding the geographical scope of the capital region.

The push for legal recognition comes amid one of India’s largest planned urban development projects. The Amaravati capital project, estimated at around Rs 64,000 crore, is being implemented by the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority. Notably, nearly 30,000 farmers voluntarily pooled over 34,000 acres of fertile land to facilitate the development of a greenfield capital city, a model that sought to avoid delays typically associated with land acquisition.

The project has also received significant financial backing. The Centre has committed a package of Rs 15,000 crore, of which approximately Rs 4,200 crore has already been released. Furthermore, global institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have extended loans totalling around Rs 13,500 crore.

The resolution marks a crucial step toward resolving the capital city debate and providing long-term administrative stability for Andhra Pradesh.