Hyderabad is no longer the shared capital II VYGR

Hyderabad is no longer the shared capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, as previously accorded by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, of 2014. Under this Act, the bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh was carried out while making Hyderabad the common capital of both states. The state of Telangana came into existence on June 2nd, 2014.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014: According to Section 5(1) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Hyderabad was designated as the shared capital for a maximum of ten years. Section 5(2) states that after this period, Hyderabad will become the sole capital of Telangana, necessitating the establishment of a new capital by Andhra Pradesh.

The Telangana Movement

Post-independence, the Nizam opted to maintain the independent status of the Hyderabad state. However, during Operation Polo, he was asked by the newly established Union Government to join the Indian Union. In 1953, while passing the Andhra State Act, all the Telugu-speaking areas were put together to form the first linguistic state in post-independent India. Thus, the Telugu-speaking state of Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1956. However, in 1969, the Telangana movement started gaining momentum due to cultural differences. The Jai Telangana struggle soon resulted in the bifurcation of the two states, forming the state of Telangana on June 2nd, 2014.

The state of Andhra

At present, Andhra Pradesh does not have a capital. Former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had plans to establish "a world-class capital" in Amaravati. The region’s rich historical and cultural significance added to the concept of – Amaravati, the eternal city. Reports indicate that 33,000 acres of land were acquired from villages across Guntur and NTR to lay the foundation stone for the capital. This scheme made the farmers of Amaravati partners in the development benefits.

After the YSR Congress government came into power in 2019, Jagan Mohan Reddy dismissed the singular Amaravati dream and replaced it with a three-capital proposal: the executive capital at Visakhapatnam, the legislative capital at Amaravati, and the judicial capital at Kurnool. This proposal was rejected by the Andhra High Court, which ordered the establishment of the Amaravati capital as originally planned.

The pooled land is an agriculturally rich area, now being used for construction work. Torn between being subjected to multiple decisions, the farmers of Amaravati have lost their generational land and have not yet received any compensation in the form of development benefits. The anticipation about their future has driven them to the streets.

The land scheme has caused distress in other areas as well. This land was supposed to be allocated to construct institutions like XLRI and the National Institute Of Design, several renowned hospitals as well as prestigious hospitality sections - all adding to the overall Amaravati glory. With changed circumstances, these now seem to have become far-fetched goals.

Not just Amaravati but the entire Andhra Pradesh is in a state of turmoil after this decision. The state utilised Hyderabad for its administrative functions as well as possession of certain buildings. Major corporations, including the Film Corporation, were dependent on the city. In January, Andhra sought permission from the Telangana government to retain three buildings – the Hermitage Complex, CB-CID Headquarters, and Lake View Guest House. On the other hand, the government of Telangana is expected to acquire more than 55 buildings from the Andhra Pradesh government, which are located in prime locations in the cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Further bifurcation involves the distribution of 89 government corporations and 107 training institutions like the Telugu University and the Hindi Academy. However, the Lok Sabha Elections delayed those discussions.