Statement by Rammohan Naidu
- Rammohan Naidu who serves as Union Minister declared that the present moment represents a significant time for the Telugu community. He stated that Amaravati will achieve historical significance because it functions as the "People's Capital."
- He delivered his statements during a Rajya Sabha discussion which followed Nityanand Rai's introduction of the Bill that sought to establish legal recognition for Amaravati. The Bill received approval from Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan who permitted members to discuss its contents.
Background of Andhra Pradesh Capital Issue
Rammohan Naidu explained that the capital issue began during the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
- One state retained an existing capital city
- The other state needed to build a new capital
The problem existed because people he said have studied the way they executed the bifurcation process. He contrasted this situation with past state formations which Atal Bihari Vajpayee established through peaceful methods for creating new states.
The revenue deficit for Andhra Pradesh reached ₹16,000 crore at the time of bifurcation. According to him, people placed their trust in Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to lead development efforts.
Vision for Amaravati Development
Rammohan Naidu said the leadership focused on turning challenges into opportunities. He noted that
- Farmers who owned land voluntarily gave their property to the government for the capital project.
- The government needed to develop a detailed capital plan which would guide their operations.
- The government designed Amaravati to function as a contemporary city which meets international standards.
He said that the capital developed along the Krishna River which follows the common pattern of cities that develop near river systems.
Political Developments and Criticism
- Rammohan Naidu criticized the previous government led by the YSRCP. He said that the three capital proposal created confusion for him because of its complexity.
- The first sentence of the original text proves that he mentioned farmer protests which supported Amaravati as the capital. The authorities responded with strict measures to handle the protests which he described.
- He showed respect to the female protesters who participated in these demonstrations because they played a vital role in the movement.
Legislative Support for Amaravati
- He explained that the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly approved the resolution which supported Amaravati as the capital in 2014 with unanimous approval.
- The current Bill aims to establish legal understanding which will validate Amaravati as the official capital city.
