YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy categorically said on Wednesday that Visakhapatnam is the best bet for development as an administrative capital at a far lesser cost than Amaravati.
Speaking at an education conclave organised by a national daily in Vijayawada, Jagan said Visakhapatnam already had basic infrastructure in place and it could be developed as the best capital in the world with only ten percent of what is required to build Amaravati.
“I am sure in ten years’ time Vizag will compete with Hyderabad, Bengaluru or Chennai,” he said.
The chief minister said if the government did not take a decision on the capital issue, it would badly affect the future generations.
“If we do not take this decision now, and continue with the old order, there would be great injustice to future generation,” he said.
He pointed ou that the cost of providing basic infrastructure in Amaravati was pegged at Rs 1.09 lakh crores while the spending capacity of any Government is just Rs 5,000 crores.
“Being head of the state and thinking like a father, the most prudent thing to do is to take the decision of three capitals,” he said.
He made it clear that Amaravati was not being shifted as was being propagated. It remains to be the Legislative Capital and the Assembly will function from there and legislators will come and stay during the 60 odd days the House is in sessions.
Visakhapatnam, which already has basic infrastructure in place, will be the Executive Capital housing the Secretariat and Chief Minister's office while Kurnool, which was the capital of AP since 1953 to 1956, was be the Judicial Capital.
The decentralized development will ensure jobs and opportunities in a big way in the days to come, he said.