Warangal Urban, Rural districts to be renamed

Warangal: After years of dillydallying, it's now official that Warangal Urban and Rural districts will be rechristened as Hanamkonda and Warangal. The State Government has on Monday issued GO Rt No. 272 that paves way for the formation and reorganisation of Urban and Rural districts.

The government directed the Collectors of Urban and Rural to publish a preliminary notification inviting objections and suggestions from the denizens with regards to formation and reorganisation of the districts.

Amid speculation that rejig was aimed at pacifying the TRS leaders, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had agreed to the proposal of renaming of districts and juggling of a few mandals, during his visit to Warangal on June 21.

As of now, Urban (Hanamkonda) district has 11 mandals. Of which Warangal and Fort Warangal have been demerged, while bringing in Damera, Nadikuda and Parkal mandals, thus taking the total mandals to 12. On the other hand, the Rural district will lose one from its 16 mandals.

According to new proposal, the Hanamkonda (Urban) district will have Hanamkonda, Kazipet, Inavole, Hasanparthy, Velair, Dharmasagar, Elkathurthy, Kamalapur, Bheemadevarapally, Damera, Nadikuda and Parkal mandals. The mandals in Warangal (Rural) district are … Warangal, Fort Warangal, Atmakur, Geesukonda, Duggondi, Narsampet, Nallabelly, Chennaraopet, Khanapur, Sangem, Nekkonda, Parvathagiri, Waradhannapet, Raiparthy and Shayampet. As per the rejig, Hanamkonda district will have 139 revenue villages against Warangal's 217.

Speaking to The Hans India, Forum for Better Warangal president Pulluru Sudhakar said, "The renaming of districts and reorganising of mandals is just to serve the interests of the ruling party leaders. It has nothing to do with the voice of people. Although the government invites suggestions and objections, it's just for namesake.

With people who vociferously demanded one Warangal district a few years ago are now not ready to take to streets due to coronavirus pandemic, the government is taking advantage. There is no point in dividing Warangal and Hanamkonda as they are intertwined with each other historically and emotionally for ages, he said.

Meanwhile, Minister for Panchayat Raj Errabelli Dayakar Rao expressed happiness over the renaming of the districts. "It will augur well for the administration to reach out to people," he said. On the other hand, the renaming of districts appears to have put a lid on hopes of people who were demanding PV District with Huzurabad as its headquarters.