The process to grant statutory status to Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh is gaining momentum, with the Union government preparing to introduce a Bill in Parliament after Cabinet approval, according to official sources.

With the 10-year common capital arrangement for Hyderabad ending on June 2, 2024, as mandated under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the State government has formally submitted its proposal to the Centre seeking notification of Amaravati as the permanent capital. The State has requested that Amaravati be recognised as the capital with effect from June 2, 2024, the day Hyderabad ceased to function as the joint capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

A detailed note outlining the capital selection process, land pooling model and infrastructure development has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The Home Ministry has sought views from various central ministries, and while several departments have responded, inputs from the Ministries of Urban Development and Law and Justice are awaited.

Officials said the Centre is keen to complete the process during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament. The Home Ministry is preparing a Cabinet note, after which the Bill will be placed before the Union Cabinet for approval. Once cleared, the proposed legislation will amend relevant provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, to formally notify Amaravati as the State capital.

Under Section 5 of the Act, Hyderabad was designated as the common capital for a period not exceeding ten years, after which it would remain the capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh would establish a new capital. To formalise Amaravati’s status, the Centre is expected to amend Section 5(2) to explicitly state that Amaravati has been established as the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Amaravati was chosen after an extensive consultative process post-bifurcation, with farmers from 29 villages contributing nearly 34,000 acres under a land pooling scheme. Following the return of the coalition government in 2024, capital works worth Rs 58,000 crore have been launched, alongside preparations for a second phase of land pooling to support the capital’s expansion.