Seminar calls for declaring Prakasam district as a the backward district

Ongole:  A seminar on development of Prakasam district held at the Indian Medical Association hall here on Sunday under the aegis of the Jana Chaitanya Vedika resolved to declare Prakasam district as the backward district. 

Participating as chief guest, former chief secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh Ajeya Kallam has called upon the people to agitate to rectify the mistakes in the system. Unless we wake up, there will be no action on the part of the government, he said. 
He expressed concern over the district, endowed with people of hard working nature, is lagging behind in all spheres of activity. 

It was unfortunate to note that there are at least 200 villages of the district are suffering from high fluorine content in drinking water. 
  Prakasam district is billed as the most drought-prone district after Anantapur district in the state, he said.

Comprehensive development of the district is possible with greater decentralisation of power, he opined. The district was carved out in 1970 with the inclusion of backward areas of Nellore, Kurnool and Guntur districts, he said adding that the district remained backward ever since its creation. 

MP of Ongole YV Subba Reddy has charged the state chief minister with not implementing at least one of the projects that he had promised to the district. The proposed industrial estate at Donakonda, National Investments and Productivity Zone at Kanigiri, first of the Veligonda project, a port at Ramayapatnam, food park   and such other projects remained non-starter in the district, he lamented. 

The high fluorine content in the drinking water caused death to 687 persons during the past three years because of renal failure, he pointed out.The Chief Minister did not strive for the Ramayapatnam port even after the Niti Ayog ruled out feasibility of Dugarajapatnam port, he criticised. 

He called upon the Joint Action Committee of political outfits, people’s organisations and intelligentsia to strive hard for development of the district. 

Jana Chaitanya Vedika state president Lakshmana Reddy sought establishment of a mining and sports universities in Prakasam district. He sought the state government to solve the fluorine problem by executing the Veligonda project, which was launched in 2006. 

Former MLC KS Lakshmana Rao opined that the Center should give its package to Ongole, North Coastal AP and Rayalaseema regions after Bundelkhand.  Out of the 19 lakh acres of cultivable lands, only three lakh has had irrigation facility, he said.
 
Former joint collector Shamshere Ahmed, Prakasam district Abhivruddi Vedika president Chunduru Ranga Rao, YSRCP leader Varikota Ashok, Acharya Ranga Kisan Sanstha president Chunchu Seshaiah, CPI leader Sardar, Progressive forum president Boddapati Subba Rao and others spoke.