Konaseema People Oppose Inclusion Of Mandapeta Into EG

They reminded the government that the division of constituencies is done on the basis of Lok Sabha constituency limits through a rational process.

The areas under the Mandapeta assembly constituency are a main revenue resource for the Konaseema district while the other constituencies in the district do not have sufficient income sources.

The Amalapuram chamber of commerce has taken up this issue and organised a protest. Chamber representatives submitted a plea to the district collector of Konaseema and Amalapuram MLA Ayithabathula Ananda Rao.

President of the Amalapuram chamber of commerce Bonam Satyavaraprasad told Deccan Chronicle that the Mandapeta constituency has more than 150 commercial units, like rice mills, oil mills, plastic industries and food processing centres. The farmers of the district mostly sell their paddy to the rice mills in Mandapeta constituency.

He said, “In the case of East Godavari district, Rajamahendravaram is a big commercial centre and the people of Konaseema also do much of their purchases in wholesale and retail from Rajamahendravaram. The district has an airport, the main railway station, corporate hospitals, corporate educational institutions, wholesale cloth industries, wholesale Kirana stores, star hotels etc.”

It is feared that if the Mandapeta constituency is included in the East Godavari district, Konaseema would lose its revenue and the people would incur great losses, he said.

The chamber president said paddy farmers are facing difficulties due to cyclones and non-removal of weed from the canals. Aqua ponds have also been adversely affected and coconut trees have been damaged.Coconut that used to be sold at ₹25 in the wholesale market till two weeks ago is now sold at ₹12 per piece.

Under the circumstances, the Mandapeta constituency should be kept in Konaseema district, he stressed, adding that the chamber would take up this matter with the chief minister, deputy chief minister and education minister soon.