Legislative Assembly likely to meet on March 28, pass resolution on Amaravati as ‘sole and permanent capital’ of Andhra Pradesh

A special session of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly is tentatively scheduled to be conducted on March 28, 2026, to pass a resolution declaring Amaravati as “the sole and permanent capital” of the State.

The proposed session comes in the backdrop of the Union Government’s move to grant statutory status to Amaravati, aiming to end years of legal and political uncertainty over the capital issue.

The State government is expected to adopt the resolution during the session and forward it to the Central government, which is likely to take up the matter in the current Parliament session itself.

The Union government has “advised” Andhra Pradesh to amend the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act, 2014, in line with the proposed Central legislation. This step is intended to avoid future legal complications and ensure that Amaravati’s capital status is supported by both the State and Central laws.

Sources in the Legislative Assembly have confirmed that they received a communication from the Union government suggesting adoption of a resolution so as to discuss the issue in Parliament and take necessary steps.

A crucial aspect of the move is the amendment to Section 5(2) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The 10-year common capital arrangement with Hyderabad ended on June 2, 2024, and there is currently no clear statutory declaration for a permanent capital. The proposed amendment seeks to address this gap by providing a firm legal basis for Amaravati.

The Legislative Assembly session will also focus on addressing earlier legal concerns, particularly those related to legislative competence, raised in the High Court proceedings. By aligning the State law with the Central provisions, the government aims to make Amaravati’s status legally secure.

The State government is also expected to seek recognition of Amaravati as the capital with effect from June 2, 2024. At the same time, steps are being taken to strengthen the city’s administrative identity, including land allotments to major Central institutions and plans for exclusive administrative identifiers.

Addressing a joint session of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature on the inaugural of the Budget session recently, Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer had said the Union government initiated the process to accord permanent capital status to Amaravati through legislation. Mr. Nazeer said, “In a significant step towards long-term certainty, the Union government has initiated the process to introduce a legislation to accord statutory status to Amaravati as the permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh.”