Speaking to reporters in New Delhi After the passage of Andhrs Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in Rajya Sabha, Lokesh said, “The legal status will act as a massive catalyst for private sector investment… This is the ‘security’ the private sector has been waiting for.”
Lokesh said the government did not view Amaravati merely as a seat of power, but as a primary economic engine for the state. Reflecting on the state’s turbulent journey since bifurcation, Lokesh highlighted the resilience of the people. “This is our fourth time trying to build a capital in 58 years,” he said. “In 2014, we were thrown out of Hyderabad with just the clothes on our backs—no Assembly, no High Court. We started from scratch.”
Taking a swipe at the Opposition YSRCP’s three-capital proposal, Lokesh argued that the “three capitals” model was a fiscal disaster in the making. “The cost of governance will be prohibitively high with three capitals,” said Lokesh.
He termed it “unfortunate” that the YSRCP—a party that secured only 6% of seats in 2024 elections—walked out of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha while the rest of the country supported Amaravati’s development.
The Minister set a firm deadline for the first major milestone of the capital project. Phase 1 of Amaravati is slated for completion by the end of this government’s current term, he said.
“The city will always grow,” Lokesh concluded, adding that the government had initiated land pooling for the second phase and remained open to dialogue if anyone had a problem. “There are no protests. If anyone has a problem, they can sit across the table and talk to us. Our focus is now entirely on fast-tracking Amaravati,” said Lokesh.
