It is now official. The six-member expert committee headed by retired IAS officer G Nageshwar Rao recommended formation of executive capital at Visakhapatnam, in tune with the statement made by YSR Congress party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in the state assembly on Tuesday last.
The committee, which submitted its report to Jagan on Friday evening, recommended the three-capital plan for the balanced development of the state.
Speaking to reporters later, Rao said the committee suggested that executive capital could be at Visakhapatnam, where the Secretariat and all the government offices would be located, apart from a camp office for the chief minister. It will also have a separate bench for the high court.
Interestingly, the committee also suggested that the assembly session during summer could be held in Visakhapatnam. It would mean, even the assembly building would be constructed in Visakapatnam.
However, the main legislative assembly building would be at Amaravati, along with the minister’s quarters. It will also have another bench of the high court. The present developmental works taken up for various projects could be continued, but the development could be shifted towards Mangalagiri region and not towards the areas which are flood-prone.
The committee suggested Kurnool as the judicial capital, where the main high court would be located along with all sub-ordinate courts.
The committee also suggested the state be divided into four regions – north coastal region comprising Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam; central coastal Andhra comprising East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna and south-coastal Andhra region comprising Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore, besides Rayaalseema region comprising four districts of Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur and Chittoor.
It suggested formation of regional boards for the development of these four regions, so that there would be balanced growth of the state.
The committee suggested that the monsoon session of the state assembly could be held in Kurnool. It would mean the assembly building at Amaravati will be confined only to winter session for about a week.