Visakhapatnam will be the executive capital of Andhra Pradesh. The State Cabinet on Monday approved a high-powered panel report on decentralisation, making Amaravati only a legislative capital. 

The Secretariat and all heads of departments will also be shifted to Visakhapatnam.  A bill to this effect will be introduced in the state assembly in the special session that began today.

The State cabinet was to take a final call on the reports of the GN Rao panel and Boston Consulting Group, on the new capital.

Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced last month that the Government was in favour of administrative decentralisation, with Visakhapatnam and Kurnool serving as the executive and judicial capitals, respectively, while Amaravati could be used for assembly sessions.

This triggered huge protests from farmers in Amaravati, who had given their lands, as well as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and others.

The Government was also likely to clarify its position with regard to protests by farmers, who have given 33,000 acres of farm land through land pooling for construction of the new capital.

SECURITY

Meanwhile elaborate security arrangements were made by the police in view of the ’Chalo Assembly’ call given by the Amaravati Protection Committee and opposition parties. The entire area of Velagapudi, where the state assembly is located, was cordoned off.

HOUSE ARRESTS

The main leaders of the TDP were also placed under house arrests across 48 assembly constituencies in Guntur and Krishna districts. TDP President and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu condemned the house arrests and termed the government’s measures as `oppressive’ and `unconstitutional’.

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