Fact Check: Will Andhra Pradesh Have Three Capitals?

Amaravati: In a throwback to the colonial era, Andhra Pradesh had planned to have three capital cities.

The Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020, had proposed to establish an executive capital at Visakhapatnam, legislative capital at Amaravati and judicial capital at Kurnool.

The contentious act was opposed by multiple petitioners. Among those who challenged it in the high court it were thousands of farmers who had given up 34,000 acres of farmland to set up the capital in Amaravati.

Amid the widespread resentment over the three capitals plan, Andhra Pradesh assembly on Monday passed a Bill to repeal the Act, with chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy indicating that Amaravati will be the sole capital.

“We believed that decentralisation of capital is much needed in Andhra Pradesh… The government is going to take back the Bill which was introduced earlier. We will introduce a new Bill with no errors,” Jagan said.

The decision to withdraw the Act was taken at an emergency meeting of the cabinet.

The Union Home ministry had earlier told the Andhra Pradesh High Court that the decision to establish one or more state capitals was a state matter and the Centre had no role to play in the decision-making.