Gudur-Nellore merger in spotlight at DRC meet

Tirupati: The proposal to merge Gudur with Nellore district came into focus during the district review committee (DRC) meeting in Tirupati on Tuesday in the presence of district incharge minister and member Anagani Satya Prasad. Saying that Gudur MLA P Sunil Kumar had formally requested the merger, the Minister explained that although Gudur is geographically closer to Nellore, there are several important reasons why Gudur has been considered for inclusion under Tirupati instead.

He said the Chennai Industrial Corridor and the proposed Dugarajapatnam Port are key development projects coming up in the region, and Gudur’s link with Tirupati would play a crucial role in strengthening future economic growth. Gudur also has national connectivity across five mandals, which adds to the administrative and developmental advantages of keeping it aligned with Tirupati. The Minister stated that if anyone has objections to the proposal, they may submit them still, and he will take the matter to the Chief Minister for further consideration.

The Minister added that the Chief Minister is giving special attention to the development of Tirupati district. Currently, the Tirupati Municipal Corporation covers 30.174 square kilometres, and there are plans to expand it by an additional 270.23 square kilometres to support future growth. He appealed to all public representatives in the district to extend full cooperation for the formation of the Greater Tirupati Municipal Corporation.

He further said that if any lands listed under ‘22A’ in Tirupati constituency are not under the Endowments Department, steps would be taken to remove them from the list. He also noted that residents of Tirupati have long been requesting a separate Railway Zone and that the Chief Minister is making continuous efforts in that direction.

District Collector Dr S Venkateswar reported during the meeting that 70 roads were damaged during the recent Montha cyclone. He said that the Chief Minister has instructed that the proposed Greater Tirupati Municipal Corporation should be formed with a population of 10 lakh. For this purpose, 63 village panchayats from Tirupati Rural, Chandragiri, Renigunta, Yerpedu and RC Puram were proposed for merger, but only 13 panchayats have approved the proposal so far.

The Collector added that preparations are underway to hold the Flamingo Festival on a grand scale in January 2026. He said land acquisition for South Central Railway projects would be completed by March 31, 2026. The meeting was attended by SP L Subba Rayudu, Incharge Joint Collector N Mourya, MLCs, MLAs and others.