Amaravati Capital Selection a Case Study in Policy Failure: Buggana

Senior YSR Congress Party leader and former Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath has criticized the coalition government’s handling of the state’s capital development , alleging that key decisions taken after bifurcation lacked strategic planning.

In an interview on Saturday, Rajendranath said the expert committee headed by former IAS officer K.C. Sivaramakrishnan had recommended a decentralized model of development for Andhra Pradesh after conducting extensive studies on the state’s administrative and regional needs. He noted that the panel advised against concentrating growth in a single location and instead favored distributing development across multiple regions .

According to Rajendranath, those recommendations were ignored when Amaravati was selected as the capital. He argued that the state had adequate time after bifurcation to design a sustainable development framework but failed to make effective use of the opportunity.

The former minister also launched a sharp attack on the development record of governments since 2014. Assessing the performance of the Telugu Desam Party-led administration, he said he would give it “ zero marks ,” claiming it fell short of expectations in promoting economic growth and long-term development.

Rajendranath further contended that Andhra Pradesh has lacked a clear policy direction and a comprehensive roadmap for progress. He stressed that the state’s future growth depends on well-planned strategies and balanced development that benefit all parts of Andhra Pradesh.