Should the Centre Officially Recognise Amaravati as Andhra's Capital?

New Delhi/Amaravati, May 23 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has formally urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to revise the AP Reorganisation Act to officially designate Amaravati as the state capital. In a meeting attended by Amit Shah along with representatives from 24 states focusing on law and order, CM Naidu advocated for this amendment to solidify Amaravati's status.

“The previous administration’s ill-conceived three-capital scheme jeopardized the future of our citizens. Following requests from local farmers, we are asking the Centre to legally affirm Amaravati's position as the capital,” CM Naidu stated.

On the first day of his two-day visit to the national capital, the Chief Minister engaged with various Union Ministers to address state-specific initiatives.

He unveiled plans for establishing electronics manufacturing in the Lepakshi–Orvakal area and sought the Centre's support for aerospace projects in Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu informed reporters that work on the Polavaram–Banakacharla link project would commence once central approval is secured, aiming for completion of Polavaram by 2027.

He noted that recovering from the previous government's mismanagement would take a decade, highlighting outstanding debts of Rs 1.2 lakh crore.

He asserted that the Centre had responded positively to their appeal for fiscal support.

During a meeting with Union Minister for Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi, Naidu introduced the AP Integrated Clean Energy Policy, aiming for 72 GW of green energy production. He requested a Rs 28,346 crore green energy corridor project, which received a positive response.

Further, he sought assistance for the Surya Ghar initiative, proposing solar rooftop installations for 35 lakh households—10,000 homes per constituency. The Centre has already endorsed 2,000 MW under the KUSUM scheme.

Naidu emphasized that Andhra Pradesh is poised to become a Green Energy Hub, ensuring continuous power supply through renewable resources.

In discussions with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, he suggested transforming 6,000 acres in the Jaggayyapeta–Dolakonda area into a missile and ammunition protection facility.

Additionally, he proposed a 2,000-acre cluster in Sriharikota for private satellite manufacturing and launch services. The Lepakshi–Madakasira area would house military and civil aircraft manufacturing, while Visakhapatnam–Anakapalli would see naval experimentation hubs. Plans for military drones, robotics, and advanced defence components are set for Kurnool–Orvakal, alongside a DRDO Centre of Excellence at IIT Tirupati.

The Chief Minister reiterated his government’s commitment to completing Polavaram by 2027, dedicating it to the nation. He discussed this with Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil.

Naidu conveyed that the Polavaram–Banakacharla link project, with an estimated cost of Rs 80,000 crore, will redirect 200 TMC of water without impacting other states. “Telangana is also constructing projects on the Godavari. Over the last century, 2,000 TMC of water has flowed into the ocean. Our initiative is to redirect 200 TMC of this surplus to areas suffering from drought, pending central approval,” he declared.

In a meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he elaborated on the state’s financial circumstances, requesting additional funding under the Purvodaya scheme and support for the Polavaram–Banakacharla project, which was met with a favorable response from the Finance Minister.