New AP capital to be around Vijayawada

Putting an end to months of suspense, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday announced that the new capital of the state would be located ‘around Vijayawada’. Making a statement in the legislative assembly amid a din caused by opposition YSR Congress, Naidu said, ‘The Cabinet met on September 1 and resolved to locate the capital city in a central place of the state, around Vijayawada, and go for decentralised development of the state with three mega cities and 14 smart cities. ‘It is proposed to go for land pooling system to be worked out by a Cabinet sub-committee,’ he said. ‘This decision is a reflection of the popular sentiment and representations received by the Sivaramakrishnan Committee,’ he said.