Factional feuds mar AP’s development

Andhra Pradesh, a residuary state and a truncated portion of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh with its 13 districts is struggling to get a brand image to attract huge foreign direct investments, central incentives and financial assistance from the centre as per the AP reorganization act.

Andhra Pradesh during its 60 year existence has struggled to develop Hyderabad alone. This capital centric politics has pushed the present residuary state almost 50 years behind when in comparison with Hyderabad. It has become literally a play ground for politicians who get elected and spend their 5 years time in the capital ignoring people’s aspirations. They have become almost celebrities and have totally neglected development of their constituencies. Political parties have forgotten that people elect the candidates for working with beaurocrats and develop their constituencies. But in reality the people’s representatives actually waste their time on fulfilling selfish agendas in developing their own assets which makes the society hate politics and even democracy. The United Andhra Pradesh has been divided into three regions and castes resulted in imbalance in development. North Andhra, North Telangana have become victims in the race. During the last 60 years, Andhra Pradesh has spent around Rs 37000 Cr in Kostha districts, Rs.25000 Cr in Rayalaseema and Rs.2700Cr in North Andhra on irrigation for its three regions. The unfortunate situation presently existing is that the state requires another fifty thousand crores for the polavaram project besides several other projects as the money spent earlier did not give anticipated results as the same are constructed by politician turned contractors. This has made the state generate inorganic money all these years.

In both Kostha and Rayalaseema this inorganic money generated has increased factional feud and made the land undeveloped. People’s representatives have started making fortunes with illegal mining, state contracts and literally have become demigods and started ruling the state Rayalaseema and Kostha in particular. Each representative has started getting elected 5-6 times and amassed wealth in the size of mountains. This under development has led to people’s migration, politicians and their henchmen literally ruling the land with their muscle and money power. The situation has reached such an exploding scenario that led people to demand for separate state resulting in bifurcation of AP into two states.

The residuary state has this factions and north Andhra and Visakhapatnam city are a ray of hope to the state. Vizag has several public sector industries, natural port and good scenic locations. This city with an old world charm was developed more by Britishers than by the state. Visakhapatnam district originally was so big in erstwhile composite Madras state its boundaries were there up to Ichapuram before its division into 3 districts. Vizag is the only district which was having equal share of urban, rural and tribal population which is unique in its nature and a 4 hour class on this district still exists in IAS training at Mussourie. It has returned two independents to Indian Parliament defeating official congress nominees in first elections of India. The successive governments have never shown its focus and parties have started importing effluent candidates and getting them elected in Visakhapatnam since the demise of Dr.Tenneti who was strong and selfless leader who fought for India’s fifth shore based integrated steel plant at Vizag. This city started getting focus after the BJP returned to power at the centre and people of this region started dreaming of development. The Residuary state has no option now except develop the state with Vizag’s brand image. Now the present residuary state has to decide between development and factional feuds of Kostha and Rayalaseema.

By S Venugopal