Andhra Cabinet discusses new capital options

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, which met for five-and-a-half hours this evening, was said to have discussed at length the report of a Centre-appointed panel on the possible location of the new capital of the State.

The K C Sivaramakrishnan Committee, appointed to suggest possible options for location of the new capital, submitted its report to the Centre last week but did not pinpoint any particular city or area. During the marathon meeting, the Cabinet discussed the report in detail and various options suggested by the panel but refrained from taking any decision on the prospective capital for the residuary state, official sources said. Since the State Legislature is in session, nothing has been officially revealed about the discussions in the Cabinet. In fact, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was said to have advised his Cabinet colleagues not to speak anything on the capital issue as he himself was expected to make a statement in the Assembly tomorrow, they said. Earlier, the Government decided to set up an ad hoc capital in Vijayawada till a permanent location is identified for the new seat of power after Hyderabad went to Telangana. However, speculation is rife that Vijayawada region may eventually be chosen as the new capital though the Sivaramakrishnan Committee did not favour it. The Cabinet reportedly opined that Vijayawada would be the ideal location for the new capital given its central position in the State's geography. The Cabinet decided to constitute a committee headed by senior Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu for acquiring land for the new capital. It will include Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana and MLAs from Krishna and Guntur districts, the sources said. The Government is looking at land pooling as a viable option for securing required land for the capital and other development needs, they added.