According to the arguments of retired IAS officer and social activist E A S Sarma, Andhra Pradesh still does not have a legally approved capital city, despite the current government projecting Amaravati as the state capital.
In a letter to State Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad on Saturday, Sarma pointed out that, under the AP Reorganisation Act of 2014, Hyderabad ceased to be the common capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh after June 2, 2024.
He stated that, as of now, there has been no formal notification designating the capital city of Andhra Pradesh.
"Amaravati cannot be legally considered the state's capital, and any expenditure or administrative, financial, and statutory actions taken in the name of Amaravati as the capital would therefore be prima facie illegal," he said.
Sarma explained that the state government must follow the proper process by passing a resolution in the State Assembly selecting Amaravati as the capital and seeking a notification from the Union Home Ministry to that effect.
"In turn, the Centre must notify Amaravati as the state's capital after following the necessary legal process, including obtaining approval from Parliament and securing Presidential assent," he added.
He also accused former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of unilaterally selecting Amaravati as the capital and investing heavily in it without proper notification under the Act.
Similarly, he criticized the successor YSRCP government for abandoning Amaravati and deciding to locate the administrative capital in Visakhapatnam without due process.
"Now, with the YSRC voted out of power, the coalition government has reversed its predecessor's decision, unilaterally reinstated the idea of Amaravati as the capital, and begun making financial and other commitments without any legal basis," he said.
Sarma argued that unless the state government follows the required legal process to get the capital's location officially notified under the Act, it should not make any financial or other commitments in the name of the capital city.