Srikakulam: In Etcherla, industrial policy of main parties will be deciding factor

Srikakulam : The industrial policies of the major parties will play a significant role in shaping the results of the coming elections in Etcherla Assembly constituency, which is a hub of various industries and educational institutions. This constituency is located adjacent to Srikakulam city and has national highway and availability of vacant lands, which are favourable for establishment of industries and big educational institutions.

This segment is covered in Etcherla, Laveru, Ranastalam and G Sigadam mandals. This segment was formed in 1967 after merging old Assembly segment - Sher Mohammad Puram. Since 1967 to 2019, general elections were held for 12 times, in which Telugu Desam Party had won six times, Congress three times, independent candidate once and Janata party won one election.

Apart from educational institutions, several pharmaceuticals industries, pesticide manufacturing companies, beverage units and other hardware material manufacturing units are existing on either side of national highway16 from Pydibhimavaram to the outskirts of Srikakulam district headquarters.

The major complaint of the locals was that most of the industries are not following at least Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) guidelines, while a few industries like Nagarjuna Agri Chemicals (NACL), United Beverages Company and others are releasing pollutants and causing trouble to the residents of surrounding villages. Most of these industrial units are not providing jobs to local eligible youth was another dissatisfaction.

They allege that industrial managements are manipulating the ruling party leaders and skipping their CSR activities and ignoring locals in giving jobs to them. After noticing the locals’ dissent, its apparent that they would vote for the party that will promise to solve this issue, in the 2024 elections.

Moreover, another issue that’s making the locals horrify was the proposed Nuclear Power Plant at seacoast village, Kovvada in Ranastalam mandal. Fishermen and others had staged agitations under the leadership of Left parties on several occasions. They also submitted representations to the then Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, demanding cancellation of the proposed nuclear power plant in 2014 during his visit to the district. Assurance over this nuclear power plant issue will also influence the opinion of the voters here.