Amaravati remains AP capital for now

Amaravati remains the capital city of Andhra Pradesh and it is learnt that the state government has withdrawn a law to create three capital cities, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The minister, during the Question Hour in the Upper House, also said the division of assets between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, can be speedily undertaken with mutual agreement and the Centre can only act as a coordinating agency.

Responding to BJP leader G V L Narasimha Rao’s query on “confusion” over the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, the minister said the state government has the right to take a decision on creating a capital city.

On April 23, 2015, the Andhra Pradesh government had declared Amaravati as its capital.

However in July 2020, the state through a law notified three capital cities - Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool, he said.“However through newspapers, we have learnt that this has been withdrawn and a decision on creating three capital cities or one capital will be taken after a review. Amaravati is the capital as notified by the state govern ment,” he noted. (PTI)