VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to remove hurdles in the way of achieving its goals of decentralised state development, the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSR) has accelerated its counter-strategy. The Amaravati Master Plan and its associated development plans were submitted for amendment by the Jagan-led administration, which also altered the APCRDA legislation to grant housing lands to outsiders.

The government recently petitioned the Supreme Court for a stay on the Andhra Pradesh high court's decisions supporting the set up of Amaravati as the sole capital. The government is now taking its policy decision to have three capitals a step further by holding public hearings in opposition to the idea of centralised Amaravati development put out by the previous TD government.

Amaravati farmers have strong concerns about the APCRDA act change, and they are preparing to go to court to seek redress. The government is determined to thwart any attempts to undermine its commitment to decentralised development.

On the final day of its monsoon session, the Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed a Bill to alter the Metropolitan Region and Urban Development Authorities (MRUDA) Act of 2016 and the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) Act of 2014. Thus, the CRDA Act now contains the words "social/affordable housing for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), including any scheme of the State Government or the Union of India." This allows for the distribution of building sites throughout the capital city.

In addition, the MRUDA Act amendment gives the government the authority to modify the capital city perspective plan, the master and infrastructure plans, and the area and zonal development plans on its own, with a recommendation from the relevant local body or, in the absence of an elected body, on the basis of a landowner's application.

Farmers and other pro-Amaravati supporters have been moving to Arasavilli on a Padayatra for the past two months in an effort to establish Amaravati as the sole capital. They were shocked out of their wits by the alteration.

The APCRDA has strict rules that the previous TD government under Chandrababu Naidu set in place and cannot be altered or modified without support from the general population. The current government found this to be a significant obstacle. Due to the strict standards, it also suffered greatly in its efforts to provide poor people with housing sites.
In January of last year, the Jagan Reddy governemnt proposed turning Amaravati into a Municipal Corporation with 19 villages. The plan was opposed by the vast majority of Telugu Desam ardent supporters present.

The Jagan government recently attempted to construct the Amaravati Municipal Corporation comprising 22 villages from September 12–17, but again there was a stinging result of rejection at the public opinion forums. Therefore, the government decided to alter the act, which stated that the only prerequisite for amending the prior act was the approval of the local village panchayats or person in charge of the villages.

The modification says that because there were no elected bodies in the Amaravati villages, the government may consider the village incharges' opinions. This opened the door to amending the Amaravati Master Plan and creating the Amaravati Municipal Corporation.

Political observers point out that the Jagan government had previously issued Government orders to provide poor people in Amaravati with home sites; however, the AP high court invalidated the orders citing the APCRDA guidelines. With the APCRDA amendment now approved by the majority of the assembly and council, the government would be able to allot home plots to at least 50,000 individuals in Amaravati. Additionally, this would reinforce the YSRC's Amaravati base.

The experts also pointed out that, as part of his Mission Election 2024 strategy, Jagan Reddy will carry forward the YSRC government's commitment to the 3-Capitals formula's development of all areas over the course of the next 20 months.

Adimulapu Suresh, the minister for municipal management and urban development, stated that the government has begun efforts to build Amaravati as the Legislative Capital and has done so by amending the act.

The CRDA Act modifications, as per CPM secretary Babu Rao, were anti-democratic and it was unlawful to take away the authority of the gramme sabhas and give it to the bureaucracy. "Now that the high court has issued a clear ruling on the issue of state capital, the government must respect it, and it is not suitable to alter the law, contrary to the high court's ruling," the speaker argued.

Farmers who support Amaravati have said they will file a petition with the AP high court to get the modifications quashed.