North Andhra will not get justice for the next 100 years if Visakhapatnam is not made the Executive capital of the State at this juncture, said several public representatives, industrialists and academicians who took part in a rally organised by the YSR Congress Party in support of the three-capital proposal, in Srikakulam on Sunday.
Participants in the rally urged the government to move ahead with its decision to locate the Executive capital in Visakhapatnam and not cave in to pressure from opposition parties on the issue.
Uttarandhra Abhivriddhi Samiti convener Perla Sambamurthy, who contested as Srikakulam MP on a BJP ticket, said, “North Andhra was denied justice for the last 70 years, and this is the right time for taking corrective steps.”
“The government should not backtrack on its proposal since it is not against any region. Decentralisation will ensure equal development and prevent imbalances among all 13 districts,” said Mr. Sambamurthy.
Former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University G.S.N. Raju and former V-C of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Hanumanthu Lajapathi Rai asked the government to follow the recommendations of the Sivaramakrishnan Committee, which favoured Visakhapatnam as the State capital.
PULSUS Chief Executive Officer Srinubabu Gedela, who hails from Srikakulam district, urged the public representatives to discuss the reasons for the migration of 22 lakh people from North Andhra region in the last one decade.
“The debate over the crucial issue in the ensuing Assembly session would make people aware of the pathetic situation of Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and parts of Visakhapatnam district. Political parties should arrive at a consensus on the issue instead of working for the interests of a particular region and section,” Dr. Gedela said.
‘Lessons learnt’
Minister for Roads and Buildings Dharmana Krishnadas, Srikakulam MLA Dharmana Prasada Rao and other leaders participated in the rally. Mr. Prasada Rao, who initiated a discussion on the three-capital issue in the previous Assembly session, said that the government was moving in the right direction after witnessing problems caused due to development being confined to Hyderabad in erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh.
YSRCP leaders Killi Kruparani, Dharmana Rammanohar Naidu, Andhavarapu Suribabu, Yenni Dhanunjay and Mandavilli Ravi took part in the rally.
