Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhawat during his visit to Delhi and explained his plans to assign four new capitals for the state.
Reddy, who was in the national capital for the inter-state council meeting on the development initiatives being undertaken in Maoist-hit areas, is said to be mulling over the idea to establish capitals in Vizianagaram, Kakinada, Guntur and Kadapa in a bid to decentralise development.
According to YSRCP Sources, during his meeting with Amit Shah, Reddy is said to have highlighted his proposal to make Amaravati only the administrative capital while pushing for development in the other four cities as well. For this, the state government plans to establish Regional Development Boards.
Following the recent flooding of the Krishna River, which led to road links being cut off between Amaravati and Vijayawada several political leaders, local farmers and members of the business fraternity raised concerns over the city being chosen as the capital.
The Minister for Municipal Affairs Botsa Satyanarayan himself struck controversy when he said that Amaravati is not the safest capital at all after 8 lakh cusecs of water, which was let through the Prakasam Barrage, drowned the river-front areas.