Farmers force Amravati shutdown over Andhra Pradesh’s capital controversy

Farmers of Amaravati, the capital region of Andhra Pradesh, forced a complete shutdown of the area on January 4, Saturday in protest against the proposed shifting of administrative capital to Visakhapatnam and the alleged high-handed behaviour of the police against women protesters. Educational institutions, banks and commercial establishments in Amaravati were forced to down their shutters, while the state secretariat at Velagapudi remained closed on account of holiday. Headed by the Joint Action Committee (JAC), thousands of farmers in 29 villages falling under Amaravati blocked roads and staged dharnas. The protesters put up barricades and prevented police personnel from entering the villages. The villagers were angry with the report submitted by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a US-based global consulting firm, to the state government, stating that Amaravati is unfit to be the capital city because of its geographical disadvantages and also cost-intensive plans. It recommended that the entire state administration be shifted from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam.