APSA files implead plea in High Court against shifting of Andhra Pradesh's capital case

Andhra Pradesh Secretariat employees Association (APSA) has filed an implead petition in the case against shifting of the state capital.

The association president Venkkatarami Reddy said that the petitioner Amaravati Parirakshana Samiti (APS) has given wrong and false information to the High Court against them, so they have no option other than impleading in the case.

Venkatarami Reddy said that APS have spoken lies about them, in the state high court. The baseless and malicious propaganda on social media is being shown as evidence, he said.

Reddy said, "An orgzation named Amaravati Parirakshana Samiti (APS) has filed a petition in High Court against shifting of capital from Amaravati. In that, they mentioned about our Andhra Pradesh Secretariat employees Association (APSA). In that petition it is mentioned that the CM has told us that Secretariat would be shifted in May, he has lured us with housing plots and other benefits to convince us for shifting. They asked in the petition to prevent such act. They have shown a WhatsApp clipping as a piece of evidence for that."

"90 per cent of the data they provided to the court are not at all true. They filed the petition in the high court with the information of intentional propaganda made on social media. Those lies came to our notice, the court should know the facts, and we have that responsibility, so we filed this petition. Their main claim in the petition is that capital shifting needs Rs 5000 crores expenditure. It is totally wrong. Capital shifting needs only Rs 70 crores. They have shown in the petition the expenditure of house plots to the employees also in the expenditure of capital shifting but house plots will be given to employees wherever the capital is," added Reddy.

He said even the previous government had issued a GO in 2018 president of allocation of plots - 175 square yards for non gazetted officers, 200 square yards to gazetted officers and 500 yards to IAS officers, that government had even allocated lands. Even if the capital remains here, that expenditure will be incurred. Benefits to employees has nothing to do with the capital shifting, they are part and parcel of our salaries and incentives. It is not correct to link them to capital shifting.

"They said that 114 land allocations are done in Amaravati. Then all allocations were done to business tycoons and industrialists. This APS had never raised any objections then. But why the APS is objecting allocation of lands to the poor? Further, they are claiming that 70 per cent work is completed in Amaravati, where did 70 per cent works are completed? This is their attempt to stop shifting of the capital. It's okay, let them do what they want, we have nothing to do. But why did they drag us, why did they drag our Association? We had held a meeting on March 18, later addressed media.

"We were told that the govt has taken a policy decision, in the cabinet, to decentralise the ruling. Concerned bills are introduced in the assembly. If the bill would be passed, orders may come in short time. I said the same and alerted my fellow employees that we may have to move out, so it better be ready by May or June. But these people have twisted it, misquoted it as if I was told and I informed it to the employees. They petitioned to the court these concocted stories and wasted the precious time of the court. So I appeal that along with quashing the petition, the court should impose a heavy penalty for them so that they won't file such petitions as PILs," added Raddy.

( With inputs from ANI )