AP Govt overcomes National Green Tribunal hurdle

Amaravati: The Friday’s ruling of the National Green Tribunal over construction of capital in Amaravati, dismissing objections raised by green activists, provided the much-needed respite for the State government.

When the government is faced with lack of funds, half-hearted support from the alliance partner of the NDA government at the Centre and mounting attack from the opposition YSRC and anti-capital campaigners, the verdict came as a morale booster.

The government faced the first-ever challenge from the petitioners over the location of capital in Amaravati close to the Krishna river. In the petition filed in the NGT in 2015, the petitioners contended that capital coming up in the floodplains of the Krishna river would endanger river ecology.

Besides, the threat of floods would loom large over the capital city in the making. Waterman Rajendra Singh and Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar joined hands with green activists and toured the capital villages.

Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan also lent his support to a section of farmers who complained of being subjected to coercion in land mobilisation for the capital. The issue assumed political colours as the government suspected the hand of the YSRC behind the anti-capital campaign. And, the capital became a rallying point for the opposition parties.

Although the government passed over the NGT hurdle, another batch of petitions are pending in high court relating to land pooling and the government’s move to apply the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 without bringing all categories of capital victims under the coverage relief and rehabilitation package.

Some of the petitioners who approached the court also questioned the rationale of the government to go ahead with the capital project without securing environmental clearances from the government agencies concerned.

Buoyed by the NGT verdict, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu exuded confidence over the capital project taking off by passing through all the hurdles. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for the administrative capital spread over around 5,000 acres at Uddandarayanipalem in 2015. The Centre has promised in the AP Reorganisation Act to bear the cost for construction of the capital.

The complaints lodged with the World Bank in the name of capital farmers turned out to be another hurdle, scuttling the AP government’s plans to raise financial assistance of Rs 3,800 crore for infrastructure development in the capital city.

The Inspection Panel of the World Bank, acting on the complaints over government’s alleged failure to comply with the established guidelines in mobilising lands and rehabilitating the victims, visited the capital villages recently on a fact-finding mission. But the fate of loan continues to be hanging in the balance.

When the State government estimated the capital cost to be around Rs 48,000 crore, the Central government as of now released only Rs 1,500 crore in the last three years since the bifurcation. The TDP government, which is to face the general election, is at its best showcasing its so-called world class capital as its positive campaign issue. Therefore, its electoral fortunes are heavily depending on the fate of the capital.

By G. Nagaraja