There is a new move to ‘divide’ Andhra Pradesh. It is, of course, not to carve out any new state but to form new districts by splitting some of the existing 23 districts for “administrative convenience”.
State Rural Development Minister Dokka Manikya Varaprasad came up with the proposal of creating new districts as the existing set up had become “too unwieldy”.
The minister, in a proposal submitted to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, suggested that at least seven to 10 new districts need to be created in the state for administrative convenience and effective delivery of welfare schemes.
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Since creation of new districts is within the domain of the state government, it is for the state Cabinet to take a call on this, government sources said.
However, it is unlikely that the proposal to carve out new districts will be accepted anytime soon by the government given the hostile situation prevailing in the state, they said.
It was way back in 1978 that Ranga Reddy district was formed (the state’s 23rd district) out of Hyderabad and since then no move was made to create any new district though there have been demands from people of different regions, the sources said.
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“Some of the districts in AP are larger in size than some smaller states in the country. This is causing many problems for the administration as well as the people as the service delivery mechanism is failing,” a Cabinet minister told PTI.
Kurnool district in Rayalaseema region is spread over an extent of 17,600 sq km; Kadapa 15,379 sq km and Chittoor 15,152 sq km.
In Andhra region, districts like Visakhapatnam and East Godavari are spread over 11,161 sq km and 10,807 sq km respectively.
In Telangana too the geographical area of some districts is high with Warangal spread over 12,846 sq km and Karimnagar 11,823 sq km.
At least two more new districts have to be formed out of the existing four in Rayalaseema region and proportionately in Andhra and Telangana regions as well, the minister said.
The state government will be required to spend a few hundred crores of rupees to create infrastructure like administrative buildings in the event of formation of new districts.
“This is a one-time investment but the overall benefits to government as well as people will be enormous. New districts will simplify everything,” the minister added.
However, the Chief Minister is said to be not enthused over the proposal, given the turmoil the state has been facing over the demand for and against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy is said to be apprehensive about the negative fallout of the move at a time when the statehood issue is still hanging fire.
“We can take this proposal forward only after the Centre spells out its stand on the statehood demand,” he is said to have noted.