RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: With the Andhra Pradesh government issuing a draft notification to carve out 13 new districts, the move rendered Kakinada and Eluru the clipped birds while Rajamahendravaram, Bhimavaram and Amalapuram will get an unexpected boost for growth after Ugadi. Rajamahendravaram, Bhimavaram, and Amalapuram are set to benefit the most with them being named the headquarters of East Godavari, West Godavari and Konaseema districts.
Though Kakinada will continue as a district headquarters, of Kakinada district, with seven assembly constituencies, it will lose direct access to River Godavari, Rampachodavaram agency and the Konaseema region. All seven constituencies—Peddapuram, Tuni, Prathipadu, Jaggampeta, Pithapuram, and Kakinada rural and city—in the proposed Kakinada district are upland areas where farming is dependent mostly on groundwater availability.
However, it will retain Annavaram, a noted pilgrim center in the region. Except for Kakinada, the proposed Konaseema, East, West Godavari and Eluru districts will continue to enjoy access to River Godavari. Eluru, the headquarters of the West Godavari district, is located far from other towns of the present West Godavari. In addition to Bhimavaram, it will also lose the Dwaraka Tirumala temple town, which is set to go to the proposed East Godavari.
The only relief to the people there is that Eluru will retain Polavaram and Papikondalu, a popular tourist spot. Bhimavaram, a citadel for cement factories that only had a tahsildar for its administration till now, is expected to see a fast-paced growth.
Land prices in Narsapuram, Undi, Tanuku, Tadepalligudem, Palakol and Bhimavaram segments are expected to shoot up even as the state government plans to build a harbour at Biyyapu Thippa with an estimated Rs 600 crore.
The same can be said for Konaseema, where Amalapuram is a revenue divisional headquarters and it has been long-pending demand for the region to be declared a district.It is blessed with three distributaries of the Godavari— Gauthami, Vainateya and Vasishta—and has Amalapuram, Mummidivaram, Razole, D Gannavaram, Kothapeta, Ramachandrapuram and Mandapeta assembly constituencies.
Dwaraka Tirumala to go to East Godavari
All seven constituencies in the proposed Kakinada district are upland areas where farming is dependent mostly on groundwater. In addition to Bhimavaram, Eluru will also lose the Dwaraka Tirumala temple town, which is set to go to proposed East Godavari