Row over Andhra panel's report on Vizag as capital

Days after the YS Jaganmohan Reddy got the Assembly nod but hit a block in Legislative Council for creating three capitals at Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Kurnool, a report of the expert committee that vehemently opposed Vizag as capital has come to light. The 147-page report clearly declared Vizag as not favourable for the capital, under the “development constraints at representative nodes” head.

Amaravati: A row has erupted over the report of an expert committee constituted by Andhra Pradesh, which allegedly opposed Visakhapatnam as one of the three state capitals due to its vulnerability to cyclonic storms.

While the opposition alleged that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government kept the panel's report secret and pushed the coastal city as the executive capital, the government claimed that a section of media distorted the report and maintained Visakhapatnam is suitable to be one of the capitals.

Read: Hurdle for Jagan's '3-capital' move as AP Council adopts TDP resolution

A six-member committee comprising experts had last month submitted a 147-page report to the government. According to reports in a section of vernacular media, the panel did not favour Visakhapatnam as the capital on various grounds.

"Visakhapatnam presents an eco-fragile zone with the potential threat of severe cyclones, floods and a rise in sea levels. It is compounded with CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) constraints and coastline erosion. Infiltration of saline water into the groundwater table is a cause of concern. Oil spillage has been noticed in several parts of the port. There are issues of industrial pollution including that from the steel plant and port-related activities.

"The Metropolitan Region also poses a security threat considering the fact that the region hosts the Eastern Naval Command and possible (nuclear) submarine activities. Any major new governance activity is neither required from a settlement pattern point of view nor desirable under the constraints discussed," says the panel's report.

"Furthermore, substantial chunks of government lands are not available in and around the city. Several institutions are already awaiting land allocation. The location of the proposed airport in Bhogavaram (Bhogapuram) and the related activities also need review in the light of these constraints. The ongoing preparation for the Master plan for Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region 2041 seems to have overlooked some of these considerations," added the report by the committee headed by former IAS officer G.N. Rao.

The excerpts of the report kicked up a row, a week after the Assembly passed two Bills to create three state capitals - Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool. The move, however, hit a roadblock in the Legislative Council, dominated by the opposition as the Chairman referred the Bills to a select committee.

Read:YSRC govt suffers setback as bills on three capitals referred to select committee

Irked over the development, the Assembly on January 27 passed a resolution to abolish the Council.

The three capitals decision was taken by the government on the basis of the expert committee and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The BCG also reportedly expressed concern on the vulnerability of Visakhapatnam to cyclones.

Read: AP to have three capitals as Assembly passes Bill amidst intensified protests

The government reacted sharply to the media reports and termed them false. Urban Development Minister Botsa Satyaranarayana blamed opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for creating controversy.

"Is Visakhapatnam going to be washed away," asked the minister and pointed out Chennai and Mumbai are also state capitals. "There is no threat to Vizag. In fact, there is a flood threat to Amaravati," he said defending the government's move to shift key capital functions from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam and Kurnool.

Rao also addressed a news conference to clear the air. He claimed that what is published in a section of the media is only a part of the discussion but not from recommendations or operational portion of the report. "We have analysed the strengths and constraints of Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnan and Vijayawada for the capital. The capital function was suggested to be set up in northernmost part of Visakhapatnam city, far away from the core city and the seashore," he said.

(IANS Reported)