Decentralisation very important, Naidu staging agitations only for political gains: AP Tourism Minister

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], Jan 20 (ANI): Ahead of the special session of the State Assembly for setting up three capitals, Tourism Minister MS Rao said that decentralisation is important and that TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has been staging agitations only for political gains.
"The Chief Minister (Jagan Mohan Reddy) is going to develop all the regions in the state in a uniform way; all 13 districts and 3 regions are important to us. We want to de-centralise development. N Chandrababu Naidu is staging agitations only for political gains," Rao said.
Chief Whip Gadikota S Reddy said, "I am in favour of recommendations of the Boston Consulting Group and Sivaraman Committee. Five crore people are waiting to see if the committee's recommendations will get approved or not."
Terming decentralisation of the State's capital as "very important", YSRCP MLA AR Reddy alleged that Naidu did not fulfil any promises he had made when he was the Chief Minister.
In the wake of 'Chalo Assembly' call by Amaravati Parirakahana Samiti and political parties, the police have detained several TDP leaders and put them under house arrest.
Police force is also deployed at Naidu's residence. Former minister Prattipati Pullarao was put under house arrest in Chilakaluri, while TDP leader K Ravi Kumar, former MLAs Ramana Murty and Venkataramana were put under house arrest in Srikakulam. Former MLAs Kondababu and Anantalakshmi were put under house arrest in Kakinada.
TDP State unit president K Kala Venkatrao has strongly condemned the house arrests of his party leaders. Public agitation cannot be stopped by police action, he said in a statement adding that the YSRCP government is acting in an undemocratic manner.
Meanwhile, a heavy police force has been deployed on Prakasam barrage, ahead of the State Assembly session. The barrage is on the way from Vijayawada to Amaravati assembly. As of now, all transport on that route has been stopped, except for vehicles of ministers, MLAs, MLCs, officials and emergency services.
Several protests had erupted in the state, after GN Rao Committee, which was set up by the Andhra Pradesh government to look into the suggestion of three capitals had earlier made a favourable recommendation saying the move will help in decentralising development and putting the available resources to best use.
It has proposed Visakhapatnam as the executive capital and Kurnool the judicial capital while retaining Amaravati as the legislative capital. (ANI)