Include Santhanuthalapadu in Ongole district: Roundtable

Ongole: Following the reports that the government is mulling to form another 12 districts in the state, with the limits of the parliament constituencies, the Ongole Citizen Forum organized a roundtable on Sunday to discuss the needs of the district that require the attention of the state government.

In the meeting held at the Medical Shops Association Hall in Ongole, the speakers like president of Citizen Forum Kolla Madhu, Ravula Venkaiah, Chittipati Venkateswara Rao, Narne Venkata Subbaiah, G Balakrishna, D Adinarayana, D Dharma, Krishna Reddy, Kolla Venkatarao and others demanded that the government include Santhanuthalapadu assembly constituency, which is just 3 kilometers from Ongole, in the Ongole district than Bapatla district which is about 100 kilometers away.

The speakers explained that the Prakasam district is neglected by the government ever since it is formed about 50 years ago. They said that the district is still a backward district and has no water, employment opportunities. They explained that if the government proceeds ahead with the decision of making parliament constituency as the district, then the Ongole district would not have any employment and income opportunities as the Galaxy granite industry would go away to Bapatla district. They mentioned that the Ongole would lose its branded Ongole Bull as the Cattle Breeding Farm at Chadalawada in Santhanuthalapadu. They said that the Ongole Dairy at Pernamitta, Prakasam Panthulu University, which would be constructed at Pernamitta, Prakasam Panthulu's native place Uddandarayunipalem will also be forced to join the Bapatla district. They said that the Mallavaram reservoir, Kolachanakota, Ellampali, Maddipadu, and other sand reaches also go to the Bapatla district if the government continues ahead with its decision. They also mentioned that the Ramayapatnam port would go to Nellore district if the decision is implemented without considering its effect.

The speakers demanded the government to review its decision of forming the districts based on the parliament constituency but advised it to consider forming the districts based on the proximity, opportunities, and backwardness.