Vizag 100% eligible to become the executive capital: TDP MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao

TDP leader Ganta Srinivasa Rao took to his official Facebook page to express his views on the three-capital concept for Andhra Pradesh, as proposed by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Saying that he welcomed the state government’s move as a resident of Visakhapatnam, Mr. Rao stated that the city is 100% eligible to be named as the state’s executive capital.

“I have always said Vizag is an ideal city to set up the capital, whenever the issue of the state capital was raised. In the past, when Amaravati was declared as the state capital, I demanded that Vizag be made the financial capital of the state. Irrespective of the political parties I was aligned with, I had an inclination to set up the capital here. However, the Sri Krishna Committee, after its extensive research, deemed that Amaravati would be the ideal state capital. Now that the new government is considering Vizag as the executive capital, it is my responsibility to support it,” he wrote on his social media page.

However, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, whose vision during the TDP regime, was to develop Amaravati as the capital, has been vehemently opposing the three-capital idea. The former Chief Minister opined that this could cause execution problems in the state. Party leaders have mirrored his thoughts widely and opposed the Chief Minister’s idea. Addressing this difference of opinion, Ganta Srinivasa Rao said, “It is okay to have a different opinion with your party members. Chandrababu Naidu during his term had announced that Amaravati would be made the capital, so it is okay for them to be of that opinion. Being a resident of Vizag, I have received widely positive responses from many students, scholars and the society at large.”

Elaborating about the facilities in Vizag, Ganta Srinivasa Rao wrote, “The officials working in Amaravati go back to Hyderabad to spend the weekend. If Vizag is named the executive capital, they can easily stay in the city after work. All the facilities for a good education, social life, and health care are available here.” the leader stated.

Earlier this week, the Chief Minister suggested that akin to countries like South Africa which function with three national capitals instead of just one, Andhra Pradesh too, could do the same and said that the state must keep innovating itself. He suggested that the legislative capital could be in Amaravati, while the executive and judicial capitals could be set up at Visakhapatnam and Kurnool respectively.