Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced on Tuesday that the state’s capital will be shifted to Visakhapatnam soon clearly indicating that Amaravati will no longer be developed as the greenfield capital.

Reddy was addressing the International Diplomats Alliance Meet, a curtain-raiser event for the Global Investors Summit, at New Delhi.

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The chief minister’s statement assumes significance since the matter is currently in the Supreme Court which had given a stay on the verdict of the state high court that the state government must develop Amaravati as the state capital within six months. Nine years after the bifurcation, the state is yet to have a permanent capital.

The Global Investors Summit to be held at Visakhapatnam on 3-4 March this year is aimed at attracting global investment to Andhra Pradesh. Inviting potential investors to the summit, the chief minister said, “Here I am to invite you to Visakhapatnam which is going to be our capital in the days to come. I myself would also be shifting to Visakhapatnam in the months to come as well.”

Making a strong pitch for the state, he urged the international dignitaries to “put in a good word” to their colleagues to come and experience firsthand how easy it was to conduct business in AP. Today’s meet was attended by diplomats of various countries, company representatives as well as officials of the central and state governments.

It may be recalled here that instead of the plans to develop Amaravati as a greenfield capital as decided by TDP regime after the bifurcation of the state, the YSRCP Government has decided to develop three capitals in three different regions of the state. While Visakhapatnam in North Andhra will be the executive capital, Mangalgiri in coastal Andhra will be the legislative capital and Kurnool in the Rayalaseema region will be the judicial capital.

However, the farmers of Amaravati who gave up 33,000 acres during the TDP regime for the capital city are still agitating and even won a case in the high court which directed the YSRCP Government to develop the greenfield capital in six months.

However, the AP government approached the Supreme Court and procured a stay on HC order. But the intervention of the highest court has not stopped the YSRCP from taking up political programmes on the issue. It has supported several rallies under apolitical platforms in Vizag and in Rayalaseema in favour of the three-capital formula of the state government.