AP govt to secure statutory capital status for Amaravati
Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has approved a proposal to move a resolution in the Legislative Assembly seeking an amendment to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 to provide statutory backing to Amaravati as the capital, Information and Public Relations Minister K Parthasarathi said on Thursday.
Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Secretariat, the Minister said the proposed amendment to Section 5 seeks insertion of the words “at Amaravati” in sub-section (2), and clarification that Amaravati includes the notified capital region under the AP Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014.
The Minister said the move is intended to ensure legal certainty and prevent any future change of the capital on political grounds. The proposal had earlier been approved by the Cabinet in 2025 and sent to the Centre. It will now also be endorsed through an Assembly resolution. Referring to developments over the past few years, the Minister said the absence of a stable capital policy had affected the State’s progress. He alleged that the previous regime’s decision to repeal the APCRDA Act and pursue a three-capital model did not result in tangible development, necessitating a clear and legally backed position on Amaravati.
The Cabinet also approved a one-time waiver of accumulated interest on property tax arrears for 2025–26 in municipalities and municipal corporations through GO Ms No. 58. Around 2,076 institutions across 123 urban local bodies have arrears amounting to about Rs 2,409 crore. The decision is aimed at improving tax collection while providing relief to taxpayers.
In a significant measure intended to strengthen judicial infrastructure, the Cabinet cleared the establishment of 96 new courts, along with the creation of 1,730 posts, including judges and supporting staff, in line with the Supreme Court’s norms on pendency and judge-population ratio. The decision follows a sharp rise in pending cases and increased workload per judge.
The Cabinet approved guidelines to allocate quarry leases to Vaddera community societies on a priority basis with a 50 per cent concession in premium and seigniorage. Administrative approval was granted for water resources works worth Rs 606.03 crore, including components of the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) project, to bring 55,600 acres under irrigation despite cost escalation due to technical constraints.
For families displaced by the Polavaram Irrigation Project, the Cabinet approved revision of land values to Rs 4.2 lakh per acre in certain mandals, raising compensation to about Rs 12–15 lakh per acre. Acquisition of over 4,500 acres will involve an outlay of around Rs 565 crore. The Cabinet also cleared continuation of Polavaram lift scheme works to ensure drinking water availability and approved legal appointments for cases before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II and the Supreme Court.
In the energy sector, approvals were granted for setting up ultra-mega solar parks in Kadapa and Kurnool districts, and for wind power projects in Nandyal district. The government also decided to designate the Non-conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (NREDCAP) as the nodal agency for renewable energy manufacturing zones and extended timelines for certain renewable projects affected by transmission delays.
The Cabinet approved reduction of supervision charges from 15 per cent to 2.5 per cent for infrastructure works under the Amaravati Development Corporation to speed up execution.
On the energy supply front, the Minister said there is no shortage of LPG or petrol in the state and appealed to the public not to panic. He said the government is promoting Piped Natural Gas (PNG) as a safer and cleaner alternative, with a Rs 2,400 subsidy to be provided through Direct Benefit Transfer, with a target to expand coverage to nine lakh connections. The Cabinet also approved draft notification of the Andhra Pradesh Coaching Institutions Regulation and Control Rules - 2026, making registration mandatory for coaching centres to ensure accountability.
