The proposed foundation stone laying ceremony for Andhra Pradesh’s executive capital in Visakhapatnam is learnt to have been deferred, thanks to the uncertainty in getting the nod from the courts.
As per the original schedule, YSR Congress party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was to lay foundation stone in Visakhapatnam on on August 16.
He also fixed the programme of distribution of 26 lakh house sites to the landless poor on the same day.
The Chief Minister’s Office also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to attend the programmes or at least take part in the same through video conferencing.
However, with the state high court issuing interim orders staying the formation of three capitals till August 14, the entire three capitals plan has gone into jeopardy.
At the same time, there has been no response from the PMO till now and indications that Modi might not come in the present situation.
Having no other option, the Jagan government has decided to postpone the programme indefinitely.
Even the house sites distribution programme looks unlikely, as there was no clearance from the Supreme Court till now.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government has authorised principal secretary of municipal administration Shyamala Rao to file counter affidavits in the Supreme Court on decentralisation bill as well as repeal of the AP capital region development authority.
The state government is going all out to get a favourable judgement form the Supreme Court in getting a stay on the high court interim orders.