GO issued for creation of Anakapalle revenue division

The State government issued a GO on Wednesday announcing the formation of a separate revenue division of Anakapalle in the district with the jaggery town as its headquarters.

The long-felt need for creating another revenue division in the plain area of the district for administrative convenience and better administration was fulfilled. Nine mandals from the present Visakhapatnam revenue division and two from Narsipatnam revenue division made up the Anakapalle revenue division.

The formation of Anakapalle revenue division was announced in the State Budget 2013 presented by Finance Minister Ramanarayana Reddy last month.

While issuing the GO (No. 460 of April 3,2013) Principal Secretary (Revenue) B.R. Meena instructed the Collector to issue a gazette notification and invite objections and suggestions from the people of Visakhapatnam district within 30 days from the date the gazette was published.

Shape of new division

The new revenue division will have Anakapalle, Kasimkota, Chodavaram, Cheedikada, Butchaiahpeta, Ravikamatam, K. Kotapadu, Deverapalli, Munagapaka (from Visakhapatnam division) and Rolugunta and Madugula (from Narsipatnam division).

The strength of Visakhapatnam division is reduced from 19 mandals to 10 and that of Narsipatnam from 13 to 11.

The number of mandals in Paderu division, 11, covering the Agency area remains unchanged.

Though people of Chodavaram area have been demanding creation of a new revenue division with Chodavaram as its headquarters for a very long time, the government opted for Anakapalle as the headquarters. They also wondered why the government has chosen Anakapalle as the headquarters of the new division when it appears almost certain that Anakapalle town and surrounding areas will be merged with GVMC (along with Bheemunipatnam municipality on the other side of Visakhapatnam city).

Minister for Investments and Infrastructure Ganta Srinivasa Rao, representing Anakapalle, tilted the scale in favour of the jaggery town, said people of Chodavaram. Ironically Mr. Srinivasa Rao, when he won from Chodavaram in 2004 elections (on the Telugu Desam ticket) assured the locals that he would strive to get the new revenue division with Chodavaram as its headquarters.

In fact Chodavaram as headquarters of the new revenue division is the main assurance given by every major contestant in every election. Present MLA K.S.N.S. Raju of Telugu Desam is no exception. But people are not sure that Mr. Raju had made strong efforts to make Chodavaram as the headquarters, considering his reported close proximity with Mr. Srinivasa Rao.