Two days ahead of the big-ticket launch of Amaravati, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, a delegation from Rayalaseema submitted a representation to Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan, requesting him to stop the construction of State capital at Amaravati.
‘Sri Bagh Pact’
Mentioning a public interest litigation challenging the competence of the State government to decide the location of the capital, the memorandum by the Rayalaseema Abhyudaya Sangam said the capital should have come back to Kurnool after state division, as per the clauses in ‘Sri Bagh Pact’.
Under the pact signed in 1937 as part of coastal Andhra’s movement for separation from Madras state, Rayalaseema should have got either capital city or High Court.
Accordingly, Kurnool was chosen as state capital, while the High Court went to Guntur. However, with annexation of Hyderabad State in Indian Union, and formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, Hyderabad became capital city.
Now that Telangana had been made a separate state with Hyderabad as its capital, Kurnool should regain its status as capital of Andhra Pradesh, the representation demanded.
Unilateral decision
“The ruling party unilaterally, arbitrarily, without considering Sivaramakrishnan’s report and without approval of the Union Government, decided to locate the capital in an area between Guntur and Vijayawada,” it said. Even the High Court’s judgement was not awaited before taking the decision.
Taking objection also to the bringing down of the water level to dead storage in the Srisailam reservoir, and allocation of seats in the Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, the memorandum demanded compliance with Presidential Order, 1974, with regard to regulation of admission in educational institutions, and maintenance of water level in Srisailam at 854 feet.
Only 11 candidates from Sri Venkateswara University had been granted admission into the medical college as against the 59 seats meant for them, the memorandum alleged, while demanding that the remaining too be granted admissions.
Delegation urges Governor to stop the construction of AP’s State capital
Published - October 21, 2015 12:00 am IST
