Union minister Jairam Ramesh here on Tuesday made it clear that the Centre would soon constitute an experts’ committee to identify the area for locating capital for the residual Andhra Pradesh State.
Speaking to the media here, Jairam Ramesh said the committee would submit its report in six months. The Union minister also clarified that Assembly building, High Court and other important departments would be located in different places in the Seemandhra State. He said the committee would study various alternatives and pick up a location from among Kurnool, Nellore, Ongole, Guntur, Visakhapatnam and other towns as the capital of the successor State of Andhra Pradesh, comprising Rayalaseema and the Coastal regions of Seemandhra. He said the Centre would fund the new capital.
He pointed out that erstwhile Andhra State which was formed in 1953 had its capital in Kurnool, but high court was in Guntur. He also cited similar examples of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in this regard.
Jairam Ramesh also clarified that the Congress high command had not bifurcated the State to form Telangana State just for political gains in the ensuing general elections. He appealed to the people of Seemandhra region not have any doubts about the development of the region. He said IIT, IIM, Central University, Agriiculture University and others will be sanctioned for the Seemandhra region. Besides, a new Railway zone and industrial corridor would be established from Visakhapatnam to Chennai for the benefit of the residual AP State, he said, adding that though the Centre has granted statehood to Telangana the Congress would take the responsibility of protecting the rights of the Seemandhra people.
Tight security arrangements were made for the minister’s visit to Guntur. Activists of YSR Congress party tried to stop his convoy to protest against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Police arrested several protestors in this regard. (NSS)
