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Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act Secures Amaravati
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act Secures Amaravati
Context: The Centre’s move to amend the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act comes amid renewed demands from the Naidu government to formally recognise Amaravati as the state capital.
How is the changing of the capital done in India?
Constitutional–Legal Procedure
- The Constitution does not prescribe a uniform process for shifting state capitals. However, when a state is formed or reorganised, its capital is determined through Parliamentary legislation.
- For Andhra Pradesh, the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (APRA), 2014, enacted under Articles 3 and 4, specifies Hyderabad as the temporary capital for 10 years. Any change requires amending this Act through Parliament, followed by gazette notification for legal sanctity.
- The Union Home Ministry pilots such amendments, while the Law Ministry vets the draft.
- Past instances—like shifting capital functions in Jammu & Kashmir (Darbar Move, administrative practice) or decentralised capitals in Maharashtra (Nagpur session)—were done through state legislation/administrative orders, showing that the process varies but must follow statutory authority.
Why is this shifting in Andhra Pradesh now?
- Political–Administrative Imperatives
- Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has long demanded Amaravati as the sole capital, reversing the previous government’s 2019 proposal for three capitals (Visakhapatnam–executive, Amaravati–legislative, Kurnool–judicial).
- The Centre is set to amend Section 5(2) of APRA, 2014 to formally insert Amaravati as the capital.
- Economic and Governance Considerations
- Amaravati was planned as a greenfield capital city, with major land pooling done earlier. Delays after 2019 led to sunk costs and halted infrastructure. The CAG (2021) flagged concerns over stalled capital expenditure and project cost overruns.
- Economic Survey (approx. 2021–22) emphasised that policy certainty and stable governance structures reduce transaction costs—strengthening the case for a single, legally recognised capital.
- Federal and Developmental Context
- The amendment seeks to prevent recurrent capital shifts that disrupt administration and investor confidence.
- Farmer groups from the Amaravati region, who contributed pooled land, have repeatedly sought legal recognition—this acts as a social contract pressure point.
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The Source’s Authority and Ownership of the Article is Claimed By THE STUDY IAS BY MANIKANT SINGH
