Visakhapatnam Not The Right Idea for the Capital?

Vishakapatnam got the major chunk of the Capitals Division with the recent decision of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Government. There were rumors that even though it is the Executive Capital for now, very soon Amaravati will be deactivated and the Legislature will also move to Vishaka making it a full-fledged capital.

However, there are apprehensions of the experts if this is the right decision in the name of Decentralization. “When there is a lot of growth and an existing megacity can’t take more growth without compromising on liveability, that is when you look at decentralization. On that front, Vishakapatnam is not the right choice,” they say.

“When you are planning to build a new capital, you should not overburden the existing city. This will also mean that you are centralizing more things by choosing an already built city. That is the reason why Amaravati is the capital but not Vijayawada. If Uttarandhra Development is the criterion, the Government should have chosen some other place in Srikakulam or Vizianagaram,” they add.

On the other side, Andhra Pradesh Cabinet will sit tomorrow to ratify the Report of GN Rao Committee. The State Government may issue an ordinance bringing the Three Capitals into effect immediately as the next Assembly Session is some time away.