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Capital jolt to Naidu govt
The Sivaramakrishnan Committee has suggested a distributed capital model instead of a centralised one at one place for Andhra Pradesh.
*Sivaramakrishnan Committee submits report to Centre
*Don’t make capital a honey pot like Hyderabad, Dehradun
- Panel opposes setting up capital near Vijayawada
- Says even temporary capital idea is not feasible
- Depts should be located beyond urban areas of VGMT
- Else, there will be severe stress on infrastructure
- It will hurt growth prospects of potential areas in AP
- Cites problems in Dehra Dun, capital of Uttarakhand
Hyderabad: The Sivaramakrishnan Committee has suggested a distributed capital model instead of a centralised one at one place for Andhra Pradesh. It has also expressed strong concern over the decision of the state government to shift some of the directorates and commissionerates to Vijayawada.
The committee, in its report submitted to the Centre, which had been sent to the state government, said that it was concerned that any ad hoc invitation to government departments to locate between Guntur and Vijayawada would lead to unplanned and haphazard development and fait accompli of a permanent capital as had happened in the case of Uttarakhand.
It has been nearly 10 years since Uttarakhand was created, but Dehradun continues to be the capital with all the attendant problems of inadequate accommodation infrastructure and attendant congestion, the committee observed.
The committee said that in case shifting of some departments was inevitable, the State government should think of locating temporary offices in the area beyond the existing urban parts of Guntur, Vijayawada, Mangalagiri and Tenali (VGMT).
These areas under no circumstances should become a fait accompli for permanent location.
These temporary arrangements if made, the report said, should not become a ‘fait accompli’ for making a permanent capital. The committee also felt that geographical connectivity, centrality and proximity are attractive concepts but need not be the only one for guiding development.
In other states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra or West Bengal, this geographical centrality does not exist.
Any attempt towards concentration of government offices within the urban area of Vijayawada-Guntur will have to consider other consequences such as strain on infrastructure and possible unplanned expansion of urban areas.
This observation assumes significance since from Chief Minister downwards, most of them have been sending clear indications that the capital would be located in that part of the state. Even the chairman of the state committee on capital city headed by Minister P Narayana has claimed that the capital will be in VGMT area.
The Committee is strongly of the view that locating several governmental offices within the VGTM urban area is both unfeasible for financial reasons and undesirable for decentralised development. It will significantly add to the "honey pot" character similar to Hyderabad which in turn will detract from the potential and growth prospects of other centres in Andhra.
