Amaravati to get legal boost: Andhra Pradesh capital bill heads to parliament

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A bill granting statutory status to Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh will be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 will be introduced in the Lok Sabha.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 will be amended to recognize Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Subsection (2) of Section 5 of the Act will be amended to replace the words "and there shall be a new capital" with "and Amaravati shall be the new capital."

As per the Explanation to the proposed amendment, the term 'Amaravati' includes the capital city areas notified under the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014. This amendment will be deemed to have come into force from June 2, 2024.

The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill states that the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh passed a resolution on March 28, 2026, requesting the Government of India to amend section 5 of the said Act to include the name 'Amaravati' as the new capital of the successor State of Andhra Pradesh.

The amendment bill aims to provide legal clarity regarding the capital of Andhra Pradesh. The TDP-led NDA government in the state has been working towards this, and on March 28, a resolution was passed in the Assembly, paving the way for the bill.

The resolution passed during the special session requested the central government to declare Amaravati as the sole capital city of the state and issue a notification to the effect.