AP Cabinet Meet under way to decide on fate of Amaravati as state Capital…,,

Andhra Pradesh: Amaravathi: Dec 27 (HS): Andhra Pradesh Cabinet is holding a  crucial meeting here today to deliberate and discuss the G.N Rao Committee report that recommended distribution of capital functions with the Secretariat at Amaravati, High Court in Kurnool, and the Legislature in Amaravati.

Yesterday ruling YSR Congress MLAs from Krishna and Guntur districts held a meeting to firm up the party’s stand on the capital issue and resolved that there is no way the government can spend Rs one lakh crore on building new capital and government objective is to develop all the 13 districts of the state. Allaying the fears of the farmers the Municipal Administration Minister Mr. Satyanarayana who attended the meeting with the legislators, said displaced farmers who gave up their land for the development of Amaravati need not worry as the government was committed to honoring all the promises made to them and said Central funds would be secured to develop the lands given by farmers.

The Cabinet meeting is underway with tight Police and security arrangements had been put in place in the Amaravati region. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC and Section 30 of the Police Act are already in place and villagers along the road leading to the Secretariat have laid siege with women and farmers not allowing convoys of media and ministers to the state secretariat.

Two Sub-Inspectors and few media personnel were reported injured in a scuffle with the police in the morning when the reports last came in. Mandapam village and the roads leading to the Secretariat at Velagapudi is reportedly tense and police have arrested scores of farmers and housewives to clear the way for the convoy of the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues. The outcome of the cabinet is keenly awaited as to whether the Chief Minister shall retain Amaravathi or prefer shifting the capital to port city Visakhapatnam.