When the well-developed Madanapalle and Rajampeta were engaged in a tug of war claiming the coveted headquarters status of Annamayya district, Rayachoti emerged the underdog to walk away with the cake. In spite of having the dubious distinction of being a drought-prone, backward and the most inaccessible area, it finally emerged triumphant in the race.
Madanapalle and Rajampeta are more prominent since the British rule and were also the largest revenue divisions earlier for Chittoor and Kadapa respectively, and hence administered by Sub-Collectors. The agitating public of both the regions demanded separate districts, which was easily ruled out during the reorganisation exercise to prevent the scope for similar demands.
The district headquarters status came as no surprise, thanks to the homework done by Rayachoti MLA and Chief Whip Gadikota Srikanth Reddy in using his clout with the Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The immediate priority of the government should be to erase the ‘backward’ tag and also ensure equitable distribution of resources to the two other regions to assuage their ruffled feelings, say analysts.
Water projects
The government has several plans up its sleeve for developing the arid district comprising Piler, Madanapalle, Thamballapalle, Kodur, Rajampeta and Rayachoti segments. While Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) is expected to wet the parched throats of Madanapalle, the plan to bring Gandikota water through Galeru Nagari Sujala Sravanthi (GNSS) by gravity will meet the needs of Rajampeta belt. For the core Rayachoti area, work is in progress to bring Gandikota water to Veligallu. The ongoing ₹3,000 crore water grid project addresses the growing needs of the Rayachoti segment having a 4 lakh population and especially the core town, currently having 1 lakh residents.
The district can no longer be termed ‘inaccessible’, as it is criss-crossed by Tirupati-Rajampet-Kadapa, Tirupati-Madanapalle, Kadapa-Rayachoti-Piler and Rayachoti-Madanapalle national highways. The Kadapa-Bengaluru line will bring Rayachoti on the railway map, once the State releases its share of funds.
“We respect the people’s aspirations and will certainly reach out to them,” Mr. Srikanth Reddy tells The Hindu. Madanapalle has a medical college, Rajampeta a skill development college and Rayachoti a 100-bedded area hospital. “More facilities will reach the tail-end regions,” he says. As many as 95 offices have relocated to Rayachoti and started functioning, braving the teething troubles. “We are exploring all possibilities to improve office infrastructure,” says the Collector P.S. Girisha.
Opposition sceptical
However, the Opposition appears unimpressed. “The fund-starved State can hardly execute such ambitious plans,” observes TDP parliamentary constituency in charge R. Sreenivasa Reddy, who also hails from Rayachoti. “Development is not possible until ₹1,000 crore is sanctioned to acquire 50 acres for housing a district secretariat complex,” he adds. TDP State secretary and Rajampeta in charge B. Chengalrayudu has termed as ‘unscientific’ the tagging of Sundupalle and Veeraballi mandals to Rajampeta division, which are located closer to Rayachoti.
