‘Two unresolved issues thrown the State into turmoil’ Further to the announcement by UPA government regarding bifurcation of the state of Andhra Pradesh, there have been mixed reactions among the people of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. There was a huge upheaval in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions disagreeing with the one-sided decision of the UPA government. People contend that the interests of Andhra and Rayalaseema regions were not taken into account while making the decision of bifurcation of the state. All major parties, with some supported Telangana without any concerns about the Andhra region and others who prolonged the issue for so many years without taking a proper decision at the end, could be named the culprits for the present state of Andhra Pradesh. Two major issues that kept the decision of bifurcation in abeyance from many years, namely, the water allocation and the capital (Hyderabad) issues were not addressed properly at the end. Though there is a little solace for the Andhra region of declaring Polavaram project as a national project, it is definitely due to them irrespective of the Telangana issue. All the permits were sanctioned and Polavaram being one among the major river inter-linking projects would have obtained the status long back if not hindered by Telangana leaders. The potential benefits of Polavaram for all parts of Andhra Pradesh were mislead by the Telangana leaders stating that it will deluge their land for the prosperity of Andhra region. Polavaram, a multipurpose project can provide water for irrigation in Godavari and Krishna basin and drinking water for Visakhapatnam. Apart from that, the river is linked to Krishna River which facilitates no further requirement of Krishna water for irrigation in Krishna, Guntur and Khammam districts. Thus, the water from Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar could be rooted for irrigation purposes of Telangana and Rayalaseema only. In addition to that, it will generate 960MW of electricity which could save the state from deep energy crisis. The decision related to the capital Hyderabad, on the other hand, is completely against the wishes of Andhra region. When it was agreed as a common capital for all regions in 1956, people from all regions of the state have toiled their energies for the development of the state capital. Many people have migrated to Hyderabad in search of employment and livelihood and were living there from decades. It is not understood how such people can be non-localites? The provoking statements of a Telangana leader, who is well known for his baseless speeches, further added fuel to the issue making the Andhrites in Hyderabad rethink on their security in the new state of Telangana. There is no confusion in Andhra people on how to develop their new state. Already, many industrialists and economists have addressed this issue in major newspapers that it can develop very rapidly and major companies are in queue for huge investments in this region. However, the major problems still haunting the new state are and the new capital location and further division issues such as Rayalaseema and Uttarandhra. People of Rayalaseema are already protesting for their own state or Greater Rayalaseema which includes Prakasam and Nellore districts. People of Uttarandhra are also plying cards for the formation of another state with Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram and a few districts in Orrisa. There is no doubt that the division of states in 1956 based on language is not a systematic method for the formation of new states. Andhra Pradesh is a real example that people of different cultures though speak the same language has varied opinions and interests. On the other hand, people are divided on the issue of new capital location. Rayalaseema leaders want the capital to be in Kurnool, which they claim as the original capital during the formation of Andhra state in 1953. Some others suggest Tirupati for its better infrastructure and proximity to Chennai and Bangalore. People of Andhra region protest the region between Guntur and Vijayawada would be ideal for the location of capital as it has good connectivity from all regions of the state. Ongole, is in limelight these days and is one among the frontrunner for the new capital because of abundant government lands. Visakhapatnam is a probable choice for being the largest city and having good infrastructure. Rajahmundry, with good infrastructure, connectivity and ample water resources is also under consideration for the new capital. These six cities are currently under consideration by the central government for the establishment of new capital.
Posted on: Thu, 08 Aug 2013 14:14:18 +0000
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