People fight for Bellampalli, Mancherial and Asifabad as new district Hq
Students wear masks of Lord Ganesha on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi in Jangaon on Wednesday. (Photo: DC)
ADILABAD: The state governments’ efforts to create new districts in the state for the better administration and improve the accessibility for the people to government machinery, has divided the people of the district on the issue and have started fighting among themselves on headquarters of the new district to be created.
Demand for revival of the old district head quarters Asifabad as new district to be created is gaining ground following the state government’s decision to create a new district. On the other hand, people of Bellampalli area also demanding creation of the new district with Bella-mpalli as its headquarters instead Mancherial. Leaders of Bellamaplli Zilla Sadhana Committee argue that Mancherial will be far way for the people of the interior Bejjur, Kautala, Dahegoan mandal and Bellamapalli is the centre to all the areas in the new district to be created.
Leaders of Asifabad Zilla Sadhana Samiti also came out with similar argument before state government to justify their demand. During 1913-14, district headquarters was shifted to Asifabad from Adilabad owing to the administration exigencies and it was continued till 1940-41 and later Adilabad was again made district headquarters.
Bellampalli Zilla Sadhana Samiti and Bellampali Zilla Sadhana committees were formed and members and leaders of the committees had launched their agitations to achieve their demand. With these developments, political leaders and leaders of various organisations also divided with their divulging opinions on the issue and not only creating confusion among the people but also spreading the enmity among the people of different areas within the district.
The issue is raising the temperaments among the people and it forced the former and ruling MLAs took the sides of the agitation for creation of new district with the towns as headquarters falling in their respective Assembly constituencies like Mancherial, Bellampalli and Asifabad. Earlier, the issue of creation of new district with Bellampalli as its headquarters rocked the district development committee meeting at Mancherial and resulted in unending arguments by the then MLAs Gunda Mallesh of Bellampalli and Gaddam Aravind Reddy of Mancherial.
Asifabad Zilla Sadhana Samiti convener Gurrala Venkateshwar said, “Creation of new district as Asifabad its headquarters and naming after Komaram Bheem will be good for people of the district and the area will be developed.”
Mahbubabad is strong contender:
With the state government deciding to reorganise the districts, the agitation to carve out various parts of Warangal into districts has reached its peak. Among the prominent ones are the demand for Mahbubabad, Mulugu as districts and a separate Sammakka – Saralamma district comprising of all the Agency areas which are currently under Mulugu.
There is a demand for Jangaon division be made a district but is not supported by many.
The basis for creation of new districts would be population and convenience of administration. The agitation in Mahbubabad as district is quite high when compared to all the other areas. Mahbubabad is 885-km from the district headquarters. Mahbubabad zilla sadhana committee members say that it should be made a district for the convenience of the people, who are now being forced to travel so long to get works done in the district headquarters. Apart from the ruling TRS all other opposition parties have joined the agitation and declared their support for Mahbubabad as separate district.
MLA Banoth Shankar Naik said he will stand first to demand the government to declare Mahbu-babad as a district. “Mahbubabad is equipped with proper infrastructure and has abundance of natural resources making it ideal to be made a district. I will do everything to make sure that Mahb-ubabad will be made a district,” he said.
Khammam to be split into two:
The proposed constituting of a new district by bifurcating Khammam will be unveiling of two districts with two different characters. At present, Khammam district is popular as a multi-character district and agriculture-oriented with above a dozen small and medium irrigation projects on one side and predominating existence of Adivasis and heavy industries on another side. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is serious about forming new districts in the state and Khammam will be made into two as part of it.
Firstly, the proposed move will stand as a new district with Bhadrachalam or Kothagudem as its headquarters as Adivasi district with extensive reserve forest cover. Apart from it, about 1,080 MW capacity of Bhadradri Power Plant is coming up at Manuguru and another power plant is proposed there. With this, employment generation will be more in the new district. Ninety per cent of Agency mandals would go for the new district.
There is every chance of centralising the Adivasi development activities in the new district. The proposed new district will occupy first place in the forest cover with above 5,000 sq km notified forest in the five Assembly segments like Kothagudem, Aswaraopet, Yellandu, Pinapaka and Bhadrachalam. Likewise, the present Khammam district will be an agriculture dominant one with extensive horticulture of palm, papaya, mango, banana, pomegranate and guava.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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