The Andhra Pradesh government, led by Telugu Desam Party president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, has officially put an end to the proposal of three capitals for the state.
On Tuesday, the government submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court affirming that Amaravati will be the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh. The affidavit clarified that there are no plans to develop three capitals for the state.
"The government will continue with and complete the construction of a single capital city for Andhra Pradesh, located at Amaravati," stated the affidavit submitted by Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad.
The affidavit was filed ahead of a Supreme Court hearing on the special leave petition (SLP) filed by the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government, which challenged the March 3, 2022, judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court upholding Amaravati as the sole capital.
The Chief Secretary requested the Supreme Court to dismiss the petitions challenging the High Court's full bench order and gave an undertaking to comply with the earlier directive to complete development works in Amaravati.
The Naidu government also sought a modified timeline, proposing to complete the works within three years.
By declaring its commitment to the High Court's earlier orders, the Naidu government has indirectly indicated that it will not pursue the SLP filed by the previous government.
The affidavit emphasized that, under the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS), the agreements with stakeholders, and the promises made to them, "a single capital city shall house the offices of all three branches of governance. The city will be developed in accordance with the notified master plan and core developmental plans, including the creation of nine thematic cities."
It further stated that the land retained by the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) will be allocated for various infrastructure needs after reconstituted plots are returned to landowners who participated in the LPS.
The remaining land under CRDA’s control will be utilized for developing the capital city, including the nine thematic cities, attracting investments, generating employment, and creating social infrastructure.
The government assured the Supreme Court that it will honor all contractual agreements with farmers.
It also outlined the sequence of events, including the declaration of Amaravati as the capital, the land pooling scheme, farmer participation, the change of government in 2019, the shift in priorities, subsequent litigation, and the High Court’s full bench orders.