Atchannaidu Blames Jagan for Amaravati Setback, Pledges Revival

Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu on Saturday accused former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of derailing the Amaravati capital project during his tenure.

Speaking to the media at the TDP headquarters, Mr. Atchannaidu said the NDA government led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had prioritised the project, and the State was now witnessing celebrations over its revival.

He alleged that while Amaravati enjoyed broad consensus in the Legislative Assembly in 2014, the YSRCP later opposed it due to political vendetta. Mr. Atchannaidu emphasised that Mr. Naidu had adopted an inclusive approach in selecting the capital, consulting all political parties and legislators to ensure balanced regional development.

Recalling the genesis of Amaravati, he noted that it was envisaged as a self-financed project, with about 29,000 farmers voluntarily contributing nearly 34,000 acres of land. Criticising Mr. Jagan’s three-capital proposal, the Minister said it was designed to drive a wedge between regions and stall development. “Had the previous government continued the capital works, Amaravati would have been ready by now. Allegations of corruption in Amaravati have not been proven,” he added.

Highlighting the YSRCP’s latest move, he said, “The party president has now launched another political drama with the ‘MAVIGUN’ (Machilipatnam-Vijayawada-Guntur) corridor proposal as an alternative to the capital.”

Mr. Atchannaidu also stated that within 18 months of the coalition government taking office, capital works were back on track. He reaffirmed Amaravati as the State’s future capital, saying its development would spur growth across all regions.

Ministers B.C. Janardhan Reddy (R&B) and Anagani Satya Prasad (Revenue) were present at the event.