Policy Briefs & Reports

Report of the Expert Committee on the New Capital for Andhra Pradesh

Bhanu Joshi, K C Sivaramakrishnan, Rathin Roy
K T Ravindaran, Aromar Revi, Jagan Shah, Arindam Jana, Nithin K, Raeesa Vakil, Rajeev R

Expert Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs, Union of India

August 31, 2014

This Report, prepared by the Expert Committee appointed by the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs under section 6 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, is a study of the various alternatives regarding new capital for the Successor State of Andhra Pradesh. Though the two states of Telangana and Andhra came into existence on the appointed day i.e. 2nd June 2014 the Committee itself was constituted only on 28th March 2014 for a period of six months. This report is being submitted within the final date specified in the Terms of Reference for the Committee, i.e. 31 August 2014.

The bifurcation of the erstwhile composite state into Telangana and Andhra has thrown up several problems but it also provides a valuable opportunity for the balanced development of the State of AP comprising 13 districts from Srikakulam in the north to Chittoor in the South. When the Andhra Pradesh state was formed by separation from the erstwhile state of Madras, there appears to have been general support for the move. However, in recent years the demand for a separate state for Telangana has led to some discontent within Andhra Pradesh. The Committee is conscious that during the last few years there has been a significant increase in regional and sub-regional aspirations within Andhra Pradesh often expressed through frequent agitations.