Andhra Pradesh: Expert panel suggests 3 capital cities, division of state into four zones

The Experts Committee has recommended to Andhra Pradesh government "to decentralise development by having three capital cities for the legislature, executive, and judiciary and put the available resources to the best use with concern on environment and balanced regional growth."

"Visakhapatnam will be the executive capital from where the Secretariat will function and will also have the Chief Minister's Office," the committee members told reporters here.

They said that Amaravati will be the legislative capital and Kurnool will have the High Court with one bench each at Amaravati and Visakhapatnam.

The members, who were talking to reporters after submitting the report to the state government on capital, said: "The budget and winter sessions of the Assembly will be held at Amaravati and Visakhapatnam. The Raj Bhavan and the Assembly will located between Mangalagiri and Nagarjuna Univesity, which is not a flood prone area."

The committee, which was led by GN Rao, has said that the flood-prone areas should be avoided and the existing infrastructure should be put to the best use and environment is an issue, which needs a major concern.

The committee has recommended that the state should be divided into four zones.

"Taking Karnataka's model into account, the State will be divided into four zones with Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam forming the North zone," they said.

"The East and West Godavari districts and Krishna will form the central coastal region. Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore coming under South coastal region, and the four the region will be southwestern districts forming Rayalaseema," they said.

"The four regions will have a Commissionarate which will take care of all the issues of the respective regions," they said.

The committee headed by Rao included Vijay Mohan R Annjali Mohan, Dr Mahavir, Dr Subba Rao, and Arnachalam, and has taken into consideration all the aspects and toured all the regions and had taken public opinion receiving 30,000 representations.

"The development model would be vertical from Ichchapuram to Nellore developing urban settlements and horizontal by connecting the Krishna Godavari basin and develop canal system and solar energy while Rayalaseema should get the water and comprehensive development," members said.

( With inputs from ANI )