Three capitals will be a Thughlak plan: Critics

Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has said in the Assembly that Andhra Pradesh is going to have three capitals.  If Amaravati will be a legislative capital, the real seat of power is going to be Vizag, the executive capital.  Kurnool in Rayalaseema will be a judicial capital.  

The CM has offered an argument in favour of the idea of having three capital cities: Decentralization.  As per him, the South African model of having three capitals will be great.  

However, critics are not convinced.  They feel that it is going to create logistical issues for the government, resulting in wastage of money and a slower pace of development.  Also, the thousands of crores already invested in the developing Amaravati as the political capital will go waste.  

Logistically, bureaucrats working from Vizag will find it difficult to attend court hearings in the High Court located in Kurnool.  Kurnool might soon have a functional airport.  But even so, the commutation costs will be huge on the exchequer.  Also, valuable man-hours will be lost in flying between Vizag and Kurnool.  

Opines Katta Shekar Reddy, senior journalist and Editor of ‘Namasthe Telangana’, “Jaganmohan Reddy is running into the wrong path. Three capitals are going to prove him a Tughlak. Decentralization of development means spreading institutions and industries, not splitting capital.  Splitting capital is going to be a big blow to AP’s future. It’s a crazy plan.”  

When the word decentralization was uttered by Jagan, it reminded many of CM Bharat’s (Mahesh Babu) plan of action in the blockbuster flick, ‘Bharat Ane Nenu’.  In that film, decentralization was taken to the level of villages.  What Jagan has in mind is hardly one.