Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Clears '3 Capitals' Repeal Bill

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council on Tuesday passed a Bill to Repeal the controversial AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020, that was intended to establish three capitals for the state.

But the opposition BJP and Progressive Democratic Front members demanded that the government stick to only one capital city -- Amaravati -- for the state and drop the idea of bringing in a fresh legislation to enable establishment of three capitals.

Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister Buggana Rajendranath moved the Repeal Bill in the Council on Tuesday, a day after the Assembly cleared it.

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had told the Assembly that they would bring a "comprehensive, complete and better" Decentralisation Bill afresh.

BJP floor leader P V N Madhav decried the government's plan to bring in a fresh legislation and demanded that only Amaravati be continued as the state capital.

"We welcome the repeal of the controversial three capitals law, but we don't want another new legislation on that," he stressed.

Mr Madhav asked the government to do justice to thousands of farmers in Amaravati region, who gave up 33,000 acres of their rich fertile lands for development of the capital city.

PDF legislators K Lakshmana Rao, K Narasimha Reddy and Venkateswara Rao too welcomed the repeal Bill, but said the state should have only one capital.

The Repeal Bill also revived the AP Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014.