Round-table Conference: Decentralisation in Accordance with Expert Committee Recommendations, Says Dharmana Prasada Rao

Rajamahendravaram:  YSR Congress MP Margani Bharat chaired a round table meeting in support of the Decentralisation of governance plan which was held here on Monday. 

The objective of the meeting was to explain the need for development of all three regions. People’s representatives from North Coastal Andhra, including ministers Bots Satyanarayana, Dharmana Prasada Rao, Dadisetty Raja, Chelluboyina Venugopalakrishna, Thaneti Vanitha, MLAs, intellectuals, professors and students participated in the meeting. 

Speaking on the occasion, State Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao said that it would be appropriate if we honour the recommendations made by the Sivaramakrishnan Committee as it would be the only option to decide the capital of Andhra Pradesh. He said the Committee has taken into consideration several aspects mentioned in Section 6 of the State Reorganisation Act. 

Addressing the gathering at a round-table conference on ‘Decentralisation Policy and Benefits’, Dharmana said former chief minister and TDP chief  Chandrababu Naidu set aside the points made by the intellectuals and made Amaravati the State capital. He said due to the wrong decisions by Naidu, the state remained without a capital for 9 years. 

Based on the suggestions of the intellectuals committee appointed at the time of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh state, the chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy decided to create three capitals in accordance with the  decentralisation policy, he said.

“Sivaramakrishnan’s report is still a valid document for Andhra Pradesh. The city of Visakhapatnam is equipped with an ecosystem that deserves to be the State’s administrative capital,” Dharmana emphasised. 

Dharmana said 10 lakh crore rupees will be required for the construction of the existing capital Amaravati and the State government is not in a position to spend the proposed expenditure on building the capital city.   

The state minister said Chandrababu is speaking in support of Amaravati capital because his people have invested in the city. He appealed to the intellectuals to think on the three capital proposal and explained to them why Visakhapatnam should be the administrative capital of the State. Dharmana cautioned the people against falling into the trap of TDP and said Amaravati will be the Legislative capital of the city. 

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Meanwhile, MP Margani Bharat said that the overall development of the State is possible only through decentralisation. He said chief minister YS Jagan Reddy is committed to the equitable development of all the regions. The YSRCP leader said Chandrababu Naidu had done real estate business in the name of developing the State capital.