Several political parties and people’s organisations in Prakasam district have opposed the government move of reorganising the districts in the State on the basis of Lok Sabha constituencies.
Prakasam district, which is named after statesman and first Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu, will lose its prominence if the district is bifurcated, with its jurisdiction being shared over Ongole and Bapatla Lok Sabha constituencies, they say.
“The district was formed by bringing together the most backward parts in the districts of Guntur, Nellore and Kurnool. It will become a non-entity with much of its 100 km-long coastline going to Bapatla and Ramayapatnam sea port to Nellore as it falls Nellore Lok Sabha constituency,” said Prakasam District Development Forum president Ch. Ranga Rao after a roundtable organised here on Wednesday.
Protracted struggle
The roundtable brought together leaders cutting across party lines and civil society organisations, who decided to wage a protracted struggle against the move.
Communist Party of India (CPI) leader R.Venkaiah opined that if necessary, the district could be reorganised into eastern and western Prakasam districts to meet the aspirations of people from Markapur, Giddalur, Yerragondapalem and their surroundings areas, without causing heart-burns among the people in the coastal Prakasam.
Indian Red Cross Society former president Ch. Chalamaiah demanded that Prakasam Pantulu’s birth place, Vinodarayunipalem falling under Bapatla Lok Sabha constituency should be retained in the new district with Ongole as its headquarters.
“Ramatheertham, Gundalakamma reservoirs and Chimakurthy granite mines, one of the biggest revenue churner, should be retained in the proposed Ongole district,” said Congress leader Sripathi Prakasam.
‘Unscientific move’
Youth Congress district president Sripathi Satish dubbed the ongoing exercise as ‘unscientific’, adding that the Tanguturi Andhra Kesari Prakasam University would go to Bapatla, if the Parliamentary constituency remains the basis for the reorganisation of districts.
