Andhra Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Kanna Lakshminarayana on Thursday hit out at Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for going ahead with his plans of decentralising the capital, especially with the decision to set up the executive functions of the government in Visakhapatnam.
"I regret to state that your government is going ahead with the disastrous idea of setting up of administrative capital by separating it from Amaravati in Guntur District to Visakhapatnam inspite of protests, resentments and agitations from all sections of people, political parties and several civil organisations across all regions of the state," he said in a letter to Jagan.
"Our party has been demanding for decentralisation of development, not administration, which is highly inconvenient to the people of the state. The whole idea throws a huge financial burden on the already debt-trapped state," he added.
The BJP leader also said that it was 'highly disgraceful' on the YSRCP government's part, "to quote that the report given by GN Rao Committee favoured setting up of administrative capital at Visakhapatnam by suppressing very important observations and comments made by it about the unsuitability of the city."
Kanna Lakshminarayana said that the committee had highlighted the threat of cyclones, decreasing air quality and pollution due to the presence of large industries, leakage of crude oil in port area, security threats to Eastern Naval Command, and non-availability of government lands in and around Visakhapatnam, among other issues.
"The decision of the state government does not seem to have been taken on the basis of the report of the GN Rao Committee but based on some other considerations. Our party once again, demands that Amaravati be continued as the capital. We demand that the state government should not be adamant and undemocratic and instead, respect the voice of the people and all political parties," the BJP leader added.
After the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the state had raised a similar issue earlier this week, G N Rao -- who headed the committee -- clarified that the ‘executive capital’ had been recommended to be constructed on the outskirts of Vizag, away from the core centre and coastline of the city.
Read: Expert committee recommended capital 30-40 km away from Vizag, says GN Rao