Vizianagaram: Demand for Parvathipuram district peaks

Parvathipuram (Vizianagaram): Even though the topic of discussion is weaving around three capitals based on G N Rao committee, the people in Parvathipuram Town are having an different argument as they are seeking district status riding on Rajya Sabha MP V Vijayasai Reddy announcement that expansion of districts is also on cards from 13 to 25.

Parvathipuram Chamber of Commerce vice-president P V K Manikumar says the town has all infrastructure facilities to attain district status. "How can a tribal man from a remote village of G L Puram reach Araku by travelling 8 hours. He has to lose two working days for travelling only. Our demand is to make Parvathipuram as district headquarter as the town is well developed and has all required facilities. People of this area are demanding it for a long time also. The poor people cannot afford to go to Araku for officials works."

Former vice-chairman of Parvathipuram municipality B Jayababu says, "How the people of this area will go to Araku, which is far away from here. How can we say it will ease the administration? We demand to make this town as headquarter for the benefit of tribes and rural people of this area."

A gold merchant E Gunneswara Rao says "Making Parvathipuram as a district centre is a long-pending demand. This time we won't lose the opportunity and won't accept any faraway places as district headquarters. This town has every facility and eligibility criteria to attain the status of district headquarters."

As per the proposed idea of the government, if every Lok Sabha constituency is considered as district headquarters, Araku will be the new district headquarters.

The district has nine Assembly constituencies and Parvathipuram, Kurupam, Salur are in Araku Parliamentary constituency and Bobbili, Gajapathinagarm, Cheepurupalli, Nellimarla, Vizianagaram are in Vizianagaram parliament constituency and S Kota is divided between Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram.

If Araku, Parvathipuram, Salur will be merged in Araku, it will become a biggest district in Andhra Pradesh. But the people from Kurupam, Parvathipuram, Salur constituencies have to travel more than five hours to reach Araku. Despite that Araku has no adequate transport facilities like bus, trains to reach it. As of now Araku is a village without any facilities. Comparing with Araku, Parvathipuram town has a 50-year-old municipality and good road and train connectivity and has offices like revenue divisional office, ITDA PO office and superintending engineer, additional DMHO and district malaria office and even area hospital with 100 beds. Parvathipuram is also a main business centre for Odisha, Chattisgarh and West Bengal too. Provisions, vegetables and every essential commodity has to be transported from here to those areas.