Hyderabad: A few days before the two states of Telangana and Seemandhra are to come into existence on June 2, President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday promulgated the controversial Ordinance that will bring 205 villages of seven mandals in Khammam district in Telangana under the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh with immediate effect.
These 205 villages will be submerged in the Polavaram Dam under construction across the River Godavari when it attains full reservoir level of +150 feet MSL.
The President had initially not sanctioned the Ordinance that had been approved by the outgoing Manmohan Singh government a few days ago. The draft Ordinance, which was returned by the President, was approved in the very first Cabinet meeting convened by new Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and sent to the President for his approval.
With the Ordinance, the entire course of the Godavari and its tributaries, Sabari and Sileru, which flow through Khammam in Telangana region, will come under Seemandhra region, thereby ensuring uninterrupted flow of waters to the Polavaram Dam.
The move to merge the 205 villages in Khammam district with Seemandhra was taken by the previous Congress government, thanks to the pressure brought upon by the Seemandhra Congress leaders as well as BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu who argued for it during the debate on the AP Reorganisation Bill in Rajya Sabha.
