The Andhra Pradesh government's decision to reorganise districts with Lok Sabha constituencies as broad jurisdiction has triggered strong protests in south coastal districts. It also brought to the fore the discontent even within the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
Airing the views of different sections of people in Venkatagiri Assembly constituency which has been proposed to be merged with the Sri Balaji district, YSRCP legislator Anam Ramnarayan Reddy feared that the ''unscientific'' division of SPSR Nellore district would lead to water wars, with the major reservoirs across the river Penna— Somasila and Kandaleru— all set to be divided between the residuary SPSR Nellore district and the Tirupati headquartered district.
“The bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh had resulted in riparian rows with Telangana over sharing of the Krishna waters. A similar situation might emerge over sharing of the Penna waters in districts carved out of SPSR Nellore,” said Mr. Reddy who had served as the Finance Minister in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
YSRCP legislator from Kandukur M. Maheedhar Reddy also expressed his resentment over the decision to merge the Assembly segment in Prakasam district with SPSR Nellore district. “The Kandukur revenue division will benefit only if it is retained in Prakasam district,” he said.
Relay fast
Meanwhile, members of the Markapur District Sadana Samiti continued their relay hunger strike for the eighth day before the office of the Revenue Division Officer (RDO) in Markapur town for creation of a new district comprising the Assembly constituencies of Markapur, Darsi, Kanigiri, Yerragondapalem and Giddalur as the present district headquarters was about 120 to 150 km away from Ongole.
Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Manne Ravindra led a protest by different sections of people including Muslims in Yerragondapalem to press for carving out Markapur district from Prakasam.
