Lok Sabha passes bill to recognise Amaravati as sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh

The Lok Sabha passed a bill on Wednesday recognising Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh. The opposition Congress party supported the bill along with the ruling NDA.

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) opposed the bill during the debate and walked out of the House in protest as it was being passed. The bill was passed by voice vote and aimed to prevent any future attempts to change the decision to make Amaravati the sole and permanent capital.

This move fulfilled an aspiration of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose party, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), is a key constituent of the ruling NDA. Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai thanked members for supporting a resolution passed by the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly, which urged the Centre to provide legal backing to Amaravati as the capital of the state.

Once the bill becomes law, Amaravati will be the capital of Andhra Pradesh effective from June 2, 2024. During the debate, Congress member Manickam Tagore expressed full support for the legislation but also called for special status for Andhra Pradesh. He said the state’s development should be balanced, with Amaravati growing like Bengaluru, Chennai or Hyderabad, alongside the growth of Vishakhapatnam, Tirupati and Kurnool.

YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy, during his tenure as chief minister, had announced plans for three capitals: an administrative capital at Vishakhapatnam, a legislative capital at Amaravati and a judicial capital at Kurnool. After Naidu returned to power in 2024, he declared Amaravati as the sole capital.

TDP member and Union Minister of State Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani appealed for unanimous passage of the bill, stating it would ensure a permanent capital for Andhra Pradesh. BJP member C M Ramesh said this was the first time in independent India that Parliament had passed a bill to declare a specific place as a state capital. He criticised the earlier decision to have three capitals as illogical and irrational, adding that the bill will prevent anyone from changing the capital in future.

YSRCP strongly opposed the bill, stating it lacked provisions to protect farmers’ interests and did not specify a timeline for compensation to those whose land was acquired for Amaravati. YSRCP member P V Midhun Reddy said 34,000 acres were acquired with promises of free developed plots, housing schemes and education benefits for affected families, none of which have been fulfilled so far.

Reddy also questioned the funding for developing Amaravati, calling it unclear how such a large capital would be financed. He defended the decision to have three capitals during the YSRCP government’s tenure, saying it was a common practice globally and called for clear safeguards for farmers in the bill.

The bill amended the 2014 Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, which originally provided that Hyderabad would serve as the common capital for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for up to ten years. Following this period, Hyderabad would remain Telangana’s capital, and Andhra Pradesh would have a new capital.