Uttarandhra Rakshana Vedika (URV) has demanded a special economic package for North Andhra districts irrespective of the demand for bifurcation of the State of Andhra Pradesh.
Addressing a press conference at the VJF Press Club here on Monday, Vedika president S. Shiva Sankar, retired chief engineer (Irrigation) S. Satyanarayana and retired superintending engineer Narayana Raju said irrespective of the position the Centre takes on bifurcation of the State, an economic package for the development of North Andhra region should be given. The URV blamed the political leaders of the region for their lethargy and lack of political will towards focussing on the backwardness of the region and extracting an economic deal despite powerful leaders emerging out of the region representing different political parties in the past and present.
Mr. Satyanarayana said several irrigation schemes pertaining to the region were locked in inter-State disputes between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha for a long time only because the people’s representatives of the region failed to take initiative in resolving even trivial issues using their political offices.
Not a single effort had been made at the political level for jointly fighting for the common interests of the region, he said.
He demanded that all inter-State disputes of the region be brought under the Vamsadhara Tribunal and all addressed on a fast track basis and 16 tmc of water from Janjhavati river was flowing into the sea due to failure of people at the helm of affairs in resolving minor issues.
The Janjhavati project necessitates implementing a rehabilitation package for 131 persons and submerging of a small extent of 1100 acres in Odisha. It was easy to secure an approval from Odisha but nobody was bothered to take a lead in resolving such outstanding issues, he said.
Krishna panel report
Mr. Shiv Sankar said the Sri Krishna Committee report had pointed out that it was Karimnagar and not Godavari districts which stood first in paddy cultivation in the State. According to latest statistics Telangana stands more developed than coastal districts of Andhra.
Out of 3000 tmc of water flowing into the sea every year in the State only 70 tmc of water was being put to use and the rest reflected on the failure of government in tapping the water resources, Mr. Shiva Sankar said.
Mr. Narayana Raju demanded a special package by taking a mandal as a unit for judging the parameters of development on the education, health and irrigation front, among others.
