Amaravati farmers take protest over three capitals to Delhi

NEW DELHI: Demanding that Amaravati be developed as the only state capital of Andhra Pradesh, farmers from the region on Saturday staged protest in New Delhi.

Leaders and workers of Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi (APS), which is spearheading the movement against proposed three capitals, organised the sit-in at Jantar Mantar.

They demanded that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government drop its move to develop three capitals and fulfill the commitments made to the people of Amaravati.

With the slogan of 'Dharani Kota to Erra Kota', the APS organised the protest to mark three years of the announcement of YSRCP government for trifurcation of the state capital.

APS president Shiva Reddy, secretary G. Tirupati Rao and other leaders staged the protest to highlight their demand in the national capital. Leaders of the Left parties and farmers' organisations participated in the protest to show solidarity with Amaravati farmers.

The APS leaders will meet leaders and MPs of various political parties on Sunday and Monday to seek their support for their movement.

The Amaravati farmers will also participate in Monday's protest by Bharatiya Kisan Sangh at Ramlila Grounds in support of various demands of farmers.

Bharatiya Kisan Sangh has included the movement by Amaravati farmers in the agenda for the meeting.

It was on December 17, 2019 that Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced in the state Assembly that three state capitals will be developed reversing the decision of the previous TDP government to develop Amaravati as the state capital.

The YSRCP government mooted Visakhapatnam as administrative capital, Kurnool as judicial capital and Amaravati as legislative capital.

This triggered massive protests from farmers of Amaravati, who had given 33,000 acres of land for the capital and the previous government had also undertaken the works on some components of the mega project.

As part of the protest, Amaravati farmers had launched Maha Padyatra from Amaravati to Arasavalli on September 12. It was scheduled to end at Arasavalli on November 12. However, on October 22, the organisers stopped it en route alleging that the YSRCP government is creating hurdles in their long march.

The farmers had organised a Maha Padayatra from Amaravati to Tirupati last year to mobilize public support for their demands.

On March 3, 2022, Andhra Pradesh High Court had directed the state government to develop Amaravati as the state capital in six months. A bench of three judges had pronounced the judgment on 75 petitions filed by Amaravati farmers and others challenging the government's move on three capitals.

However, the state government filed an appeal in the Supreme Court. Last month, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order saying the court cannot act like a town planner or an engineer.