Making it clear that the construction of Andhra Pradesh’s capital is irreversible, Municipal Administration Minister Ponguru Narayana on Thursday asserted that no amount of political opposition or litigation could halt the development of Amaravati. He accused YSR Congress Party president Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of spreading falsehoods and misleading the public due to a lack of understanding of the capital city’s master plan.

Addressing the media, Narayana dismissed allegations that construction was being carried out in the riverbed. He said Jagan had failed to even grasp the basic distinction between a riverbed and a river basin. “This is not just ignorance; it is deliberate distortion. Amaravati’s development is strictly within the approved master plan and legal framework,” he said, adding that repeated court challenges had failed to stall works because the government was proceeding lawfully.

The minister alleged that Jagan’s criticism stemmed from political frustration, particularly after farmers voluntarily stepped forward for the second phase of land pooling. “Within hours, hundreds of acres were offered by farmers. Unable to digest this, Jagan is resorting to baseless accusations,” Narayana said, accusing the former chief minister of speaking out of jealousy as Amaravati steadily moves forward.

Reiterating the government’s roadmap, Narayana said trunk roads would be completed within the next 18 months, layout roads within two-and-a-half years, and iconic government buildings within three years. “Amaravati is not an idea anymore; it is a city under construction. The pace will only accelerate,” he said. He also reminded that every State has one capital and every district a headquarters, warning that continued misinformation could further erode YSRCP’s political standing. “If this trend continues, even the 11 seats they now have may be reduced to zero,” he remarked.

Narayana also recalled that during the previous YSRCP regime, the capital issue was turned into a three-capital drama. He pointed out that Jagan had himself acknowledged Amaravati as the capital on the floor of the Assembly, only to reverse his stand after assuming office. “They neither paid contractors nor developed the city. We restarted construction the moment we came to power,” he said.

Earlier in the day, YSRCP chief Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a sharp attack on the government’s plan to undertake a second phase of land pooling in Amaravati. Speaking to the media in Tadepalli, he termed the move irrational, arguing that the land already pooled in the first phase had not been developed.