Explainer: Why Union Minister’s mention of Vizag as A.P.’s capital created a flutter

It kicked up a storm over proposed ‘three capitals’, leading to PIB clarification

The mention of Visakhapatnam as the ‘capital of Andhra Pradesh’ in an annexure to the reply by Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to a question in the Lok Sabha the other day has been felt by many as the Central government’s acceptance of the concept of ‘three capitals’. The State’s proposed three capital plan was challenged in the High Court by the farmers who contributed to the development of Amaravati by the erstwhile government, with the apprehension that if the capital is shifted to Visakhapatnam in the name of executive capital and, the High Court and allied institutions moved to the ‘judicial capital’ (Kurnool), they stand to lose heavily. What stoked their fears was a gazette notification issued by the government, in which it specified Kurnool as the headquarters of the offices of Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayukta. Besides, the government said it is looking for a suitable place in Kurnool for establishing the State Human Rights Commission.