Capital is for all, not for only rich, asserts Additional Advocate General

VIJAYAWADA: Arguing before a division bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, comprising Justice U Durga Prasad Rao and Justice TP Mallikarjuna Rao, during the hearing on a batch of petitions filed by different groups of Amaravati farmers challenging the amendments made to the APCRDA Act, Additional Advocate General (AAG) Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy said capital is not for capitalists, but all sections of people.

Some rich want to push away the poor from the capital, hence they are opposing allotment of house sites for the poor in the capital region, he said. He argued that they are okay with Happy Nest for rich, but won’t accept nest (house) for the poor, which shows their attitude towards the poor. He also took exception to the argument that allotment of house sites to the poor in the capital will make it another slum.  

“Dharavi is the biggest slum in Mumbai. Has it diminished the fame and importance of the city. The government is empowered to allocate 5% of land in the capital to the poor. Further, once the land is handed over to the government, the farmers do not have any right on it,” the AAG contended.

He said, “We are singing for the poor, but they (petitioners) want Singapore” and objected to the bench’s proposal for interim stay till the counter is filed in the case. He said the Supreme Court had given clear directions as to what the court should do when any amendments to an Act are challenged and there is no scope for interim stays. The court adjourned the case hearing to allow Kasa Jagan Mohan Reddy to make his arguments in the case on behalf of APCRDA.