Tirupati: RIF pitches for formation of 10 Seema districts

Tirupati: The city-based Rayalaseema Intellectuals Forum (RIF) urged the government to increase the number of districts in Rayalaseema region to 10 instead of the 8 districts proposed by the government as part of reorganisation of districts.

RIF leaders including Coordinator Makireddy Purushottama Reddy along with SV University professors Jayachandra Reddy, Pryaga Krishnamohan Reddy and writer Masthanamma at a media conference here on Thursday released the map of 10 districts which the RIF seeks the government to set up. Purushottam Reddy said the rationale behind the creation of 10 districts, the Forum proposing was taking into consideration the average population and geographical area of districts, the government proposed to make them compact. The average geographical area of a district in the state is 6,238 sq.km against 9,045 sq.km in Rayalaseema region (and the rest of the district in other region is only 5,000 sq.km) as per the reorganisation of the districts the government is planning. Particularly in the place of Rajampeta Annamaiah district.

As per the new districts proposal, Anantapur district population is highest with 24 lakh against the average of 20 lakh, he said adding that Rayalaseema share 42 percent of geographical area and 330 of the

population in the state. In this connection, Reddy said the government should consider creation of Markapur district keeping in view the backwardness of the area which should be the priority in the reorganisation of districts and it will also reduce the geographical area of Prakasam district which is more than 10,000 sq.km in the new districts proposed. Welcoming the government move for the reorganisation of the district on the ground that it would help decentralisation of the administration propelling development, he said it was not wise for the opposition parties targeting the government day and night and wanted them to provide positive suggestions for the government taking them into consideration before finalising the reorganisation of the districts. "Overall the government proposal was good except in the case of few districts," he added.