Now Reading: Telangana demands Andhra return five Bhadrachalam panchayats
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Telangana demands Andhra return five Bhadrachalam panchayats
Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has demanded the return of five gram panchayats around Bhadrachalam from Andhra Pradesh, raising the issue at the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union…
Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has demanded the return of five gram panchayats around Bhadrachalam from Andhra Pradesh, raising the issue at the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The five panchayats, Yetapaka, Kannayagudem, Pichukalapadu, Purushothapatnam and Gundala, comprise 19 revenue villages spread over 11,122.01 acres. Telangana argues that the villages, currently in Andhra Pradesh, are geographically surrounded by Telangana territory, the Godavari river and reserve forests, causing administrative difficulties for residents who must travel 282 km to the district headquarters instead of 40 km to Bhadrachalam-Kothagudem.
Tummala also sought Andhra Pradesh's share of the Rs 92.20 crore cost for permanent restoration of the Peddavagu irrigation project, which serves 16,000 acres of which 85.25% lies in Andhra Pradesh. He demanded a minimum assured price of Rs 25,000 per tonne for oil palm fresh fruit bunches, citing high investment costs and price volatility. The minister also requested national highway status for the 160-165 km Bhadrachalam-Eluru road through tribal areas. He submitted separate representations to Amit Shah and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu seeking intervention on all four issues.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Bhadrachalam region has been a flashpoint since the 2014 bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, with the five panchayats originally part of Telangana's Khammam district before being transferred to Andhra's Alluri Sitarama Raju district. The demand is rooted in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, which left several boundary disputes unresolved. The Peddavagu cost-sharing dispute mirrors similar post-bifurcation fights over assets and liabilities, such as the Krishna water sharing and power dues. For the 16,000 acres dependent on the project, the delayed restoration could affect the rabi crop in both states. The next step is whether Amit Shah's Southern Zonal Council, which has no binding authority, can broker an agreement before the next crop season.
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Source: telugu360.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
