Amaravati Assembly Resolution a Political Diversion: Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy

YSRCP State Coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy on Friday criticised the resolution introduced in the Assembly in the name of granting legal status to Amaravati as the capital, calling it a “political drama” orchestrated by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu . He alleged that the move was aimed at diverting public attention from the government’s failure to fulfil its promises. He was speaking at a press conference held at the party’s central office in Tadepalli.

Reddy accused the government of failing to honour assurances made to farmers even after nearly two years in power . He said that development of basic infrastructure in the capital region had stalled, and instead of developing layouts, farmers were being shown plots in unsuitable locations, causing them hardship. He alleged that the resolution was an attempt to suppress growing farmer discontent and to deflect criticism.

Clarifying his party’s stand, Reddy said they had never opposed Amaravati , but had only questioned the alleged corruption surrounding it. “Who objected to Amaravati? Who stalled its construction?” he asked. He noted that former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was not against Amaravati, but had advocated decentralisation for balanced regional development. He also questioned why the government was not convening the Legislative Council if it was genuinely open to discussion, alleging it was avoiding answers.

Reddy further alleged that between 2014 and 2019 , large-scale irregularities took place in the name of Amaravati projects. He claimed that the cost of temporary buildings was inflated from ₹3,500 to ₹19,000 per square foot , resulting in misuse of public funds. He alleged that a similar pattern of commissions was continuing, with mobilisation advances being granted to benefit contractors. He also pointed out that there had been no response to past Income Tax notices regarding alleged commissions and warned that the state was being pushed into a debt trap due to the government’s policies.