Want no change in Amaravati as capital, say protesting Andhra farmers

Irate farmers and their families came out on the streets here once again on Friday protesting the recommendations of the experts committee mooting distribution of "capital functions" and insisting that the government should not shift the state capital from Amaravati.

They staged the protest on Friday night hours after the panel submitted its report even as Municipal Administration Minister Botsa Satyanarayana sought to assure that the government would honour all commitments made to the ryots who gave up their lands for Andhra Pradeshs capital.

The agitated farmers, who have been organising series of protests in Amaravati region for the last couple of days denouncing Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddys three capitals theory, said they were rejecting the experts committees recommendations.

 

Our future is at stake. The Chief Minister should keep his word and not shift the state capital from Amaravati. Otherwise, he should return us our lands in their original shape, one of the farmers demanded.

They staged a sit-in protest on the road leading to the temporary Secretariat between Mandadam and Velagapudi villages and tried to rush into the Secretariat.

However, police foiled their attempt.

Talking to reporters, the Municipal Minister said Amaravati would be developed into an education hub.

We will all honour all promises made to the farmers and give them developed plots in lieu of their lands already pooled, he said.

The government would utilise the lands taken from the farmers, he said.

The minister said the government was not in a position to spend Rs one lakh crore on the capital citys development.

What will happen to the other 12 districts of the state if we develop everything here? We are committed to the comprehensive development of all 13 districts, Botsa said.

He said the Raj Bhavan would continue to be in Amaravati while the Chief Minister would have a second camp office here (in the event of Visakhapatnam becoming the administrative capital).

The report of the experts committee is final. We will discuss it in the next Cabinet meeting and take a decision on the recommendations, the Minister added.