The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) Bill after an acrimonious debate in which both the ruling and treasury benches locked themselves in an intense war of words on Monday.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu intervened several times and appealed to the main opposition YSR Congress to support the Bill and ensure its passage unanimously. Otherwise, the future generations would not pardon the party, he said before the House passed the Bill through voice vote.

“The capital will truly be a people’s capital with the active participation of people from different sections of society. People are smarting from the hurt they felt when the Centre went ahead with the bifurcation and how they felt humiliated and deprived. That is why they voted for the TDP with a thumping majority. We will not let them down,” he said.

The marathon discussion on the Bill stretched to over five hours, after Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana, initiated the discussion. He spoke of how a Rs. 1,000-crore fund was being created and a revolving fund of Rs. 250 crore were being envisaged for the capital.

As YSRC members led by Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy unleashed a trenchant attack on the government, Mr. Naidu said: “We are entering the 21st Century and the capital that I am planning should serve its purpose even in the 22nd Century,” he added.

Mr. Reddy who flashed a copy of the Bill challenged the ruling party to show him if there was a reference to what farmers, tenant farmers and farm labourers would get as compensation. “They are asking us to vote for passage of the Bill blindly. We cannot tolerate injustice to the farming community,” he said.

TDP member Dhulipala Narendra sought to drive home the point that land being pooled now was not for real estate purposes or for an irrigation project or for setting up an industry.