Capital logjam, but AP moves vigilance office to Kurnool

VIJAYAWADA: Even as the bill on three-capitals is yet to overcome the legislative council hurdle and a batch of petitions is pending with the high court challenging the bill, the Andhra Pradesh government has made its first move towards decentralising the capital. The government issued an order late on Friday night decreeing the shift of vigilance commissioner and commissionerate of inquiries offices to Kurnool, which is set to be the judicial capital.
The GO 13 issued by chief secretary Nilam Sawhney stated that the AP government has decided to shift that the office of vigilance commissioner and chairman of commissionerate of inquiries and member commissioners of inquiries shall function from Kurnool.

The GO further directed the engineer-in-chief of roads & buildings department and the collector of Kurnool to take necessary steps to identify buildings to relocate the offices immediately. Both the offices are now functioning from an interim government complex at Velagapudi in Amaravati.
Defending the GO, finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy told reporters on Saturday that the state government has the right and power to shift the offices whereever it wants to. Besides, the state government is committed to honour the Sribagh Pact (1937) and will establish the judicial capital at Kurnool to balance regional aspirations, he said.
Rajendranath added that the high court and all other judicial and associated offices will be established in Kurnool.
The decision to decentralise the capital was taken keeping in view the future, he said, adding that the Telugu speaking region has witnessed turbulence every 20 years over regional imbalances. “To avoid such situations we have decided to develop all regions equally by decenteralising the seat of power,” he said.