The ANDHRA PRADESH DECENTRALISATION AND INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF ALL REGIONS ACT, 2020
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**THE ANDHRA PRADESH DECENTRALISATION AND INCLUSIVE**
**DEVELOPMENT OF ALL REGIONS ACT, 2020**

**ACT No. 28of 2020**

**ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS**

**SECTIONS**

**CHAPTER-I**
**PRELIMINARY**
1. Short title, application and commencement

2. Definitions

**CHAPTER-II**
**ZONES AND VILLAGE / WARD SECRETARIATS**

3. Local Zones for Planning and Development

4. Zonal Planning and Development Board

5. Powers of the Zonal Planning and Development Boards

6. Functions of the Zonal Planning and Development Board

**CHAPTER-III**
**SEATS OF GOVERNANCE**

7. Seats of Governance

8. Establishments to be located

**CHAPTER-IV**
**MISCELLANEOUS**
9. Finance

10. Act to override other laws

11. Power to remove difficulties

12. Power to make rules


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**THE ANDHRA PRADESH DECENTRALISATION AND INCLUSIVE**
**DEVELOPMENT OF ALL REGIONS ACT, 2020**

**ACT No. 28of 2020**

(31[st] July, 2020)

**AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR DECENTRALISATION OF GOVERNANCE AND**
**INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF ALL THE REGIONS OF THE STATE**
**OF ANDHRA PRADESH AND FOR PROVIDING FOR ESTABLISHMENT**
**OF ZONAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARDS APART FROM**
**PROVISIONS FOR THE SEATS OF GOVERNANCE IN DIFFERENT**
**REGIONS** **OF** **THE** **STATE** **AND FOR** **MATTERS** **ANCILLARY**
**THERETO.**

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Andhra Pradesh in the
Seventy First Year of the Republic of India as follows:—

**CHAPTER-I**
**PRELIMINARY**

**1. Short title, application and commencement – (1) This Act may be called**
the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions
Act, 2020.

(2) It shall apply to the whole of the State of AndhraPradesh.

(3) It shall come into force at once.

**2. Definitions – In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-**

(a) Board means the Zonal Planning and Development Board
constituted under the Rules as may be prescribed under this Act;

(b) Government means the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

**CHAPTER-II**
**ZONES AND VILLAGE / WARD SECRETARIATS**

**3. Local Zones for Planning and Development – The State Government, may**
by notification demarcate the entire area of the State into such number of
Zones as may be notified by defining the limits of such Zones.

**4. Zonal Planning and Development Board –(1) The Government shall by**
rules made in this behalf, shall provide for establishment of zonal planning and
development boards for the zones created under Section 3 of the Act.


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(2) The Government shall prescribe rules under the provisions of the Act
providing for the composition of the Board and the procedure regulating its
business consistent with the purposes of this Act.

**5. Powers of the Zonal Planning and Development Boards – (1) The**
Government shall entrust to the Boards such other powers as it may consider
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the aforesaid, the power of the
Board may include,
(a) calling for reports and information from the officials of the State
Government and its instrumentalities within that zone;

(b) ensuring the preparation, supervision and implementation
development plans of that Zone; and

(c) reviewing the implementation of the development plans of that
Zone.

**6. Functions of the Zonal Planning and Development Board –** (1)
Government may entrust to the Boards such functions as it may consider
necessary to give effect to the objectives of this Act.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the aforesaid, the functions of
the Board may extend to,
(a) preparation of the Zonal Development plan and project plans;

(b) co-ordinate the supervision and implementation of Zonal
Development plans, and project plans;

(c) to secure and oversee, the financing of Development plans in
that zone; and

(d) to recommend in particular such measures as may be
considered necessary to accelerate the pace of development of the
backward areas within that zone.

(3) The government shall monitor the implementation of various welfare
and development schemes through the village and ward Secretariats
constituted for the purpose.

**CHAPTER-III**
**SEATS OF GOVERNANCE**

**7. Seats of Governance – (1) The enable a decentralized model of governance**
and to provide an inclusive governance in the State there shall be three (3)


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Seats of Governance in the State of Andhra Pradesh, to be called as ‘Capital(s)’
as under:

(i) Amaravati Metropolitan Region Development Area
(hereinafter referred to as Amaravati) to be called as the
‘Legislative Capital’

(ii) Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Area
(hereinafter referred to as Visakhapatnam) to be called as the
‘Executive Capital’; and

(iii) Kurnool Urban Development Area (hereinafter referred to
as Kurnool) to be called as the ‘Judicial Capital’.

(2) The above regions shall be construed by the notifications issued
under the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Metropolitan Region and Urban
Development Authorities Act, 2016 (Act 5 of 2016).

**8. Establishments to be located – The State Government shall endeavour to**
locate all the Institutions of the State, the State Department(s) and the
instrumentalities of the State in the three Capital(s) under Section 7. Without
prejudice to the generality of the foregoing the State shall, as far as practicable,
seek to ensure the following:

(i) The seat of Legislature shall be at the Legislative Capital of
Amaravati;

(ii) The Raj Bhawan, Secretariat and Offices of the Heads of
the Departments of Government shall the located at the
Executive Capital of Visakhapatnam;

(iii) The Seat of all State Judicial Institutions established
under State legislations, shall, as far as practicable, be
located in the Judicial Capital of Kurnool;

(iv) The Government shall initiate steps to seek relocation of
the Principal Seat of High Court of Andhra Pradesh to the
Judicial Capital of Kurnool and for constitution of bench(es)
of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh in accordance with the
procedure prescribed under the Andhra Pradesh
Reorganisation Act, 2014:

Provided that nothing in this Section shall prevent the
Government from locating any Institution or Department(s)
of Government in any Seat of Administration that may be at
variance with the above or in any area other than the Seats


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of Authority in any special circumstances for reasons to be
recorded in writing.

**CHAPTER-IV**
**MISCELLANEOUS**

**9. Finance –** The State Government shall ensure that all financial
requirements for achieving the objectives of this Act, be made available as and
when the occations arises.

**10. Act to override other laws - The provisions of this Act shall have effect**
notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in any other law for
the time being in force.

**11. Power to remove difficulties – (1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to**
the provision of this Act, the State Government may, by order published in the
Official Gazette, make such provisions not inconsistent with the provisions of
this Act as may appear to it to be necessary or expedient for removing the
difficulty:

Provided that no such order shall be made after the expiry of two (2)
years from the date of commencement of this Act.

(2) Every order made under this Section shall be laid, as soon as may be
after it is made, before each House of Legislature.

**12. Power to make rules -(1) The Government may by notification in the**
Andhra Pradesh Gazette, make rules to carry out all or any of the purposes of
this Act,

(2) Every rule made under this Act shall immediately after it is made, be
laid before the State Legislature if it is in session, and if it is not in session, in
the session immediately following for a total period of fourteen (14) days which
may be comprised in one session or in two (2) successive sessions, and if,
before the expiration of the session in which it is so laid or the session
immediately following,the Legislature agree in making any modifications in the
rule or in the annulment of the rule, the rule shall, with effect from the date of
notification of such modification of annulment in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette
is notified have effect only in such modify form or shall stand annulled, as the
case may be, so however, that any such modification or annulment shall be
without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.


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