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Uncertainty continues over merger of 6 villages in KMC
Highlights
Uncertainty is continuing over the merger of surrounding villages into Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC), despite several efforts towards this move in the last decade. Nine villages, named
Stay on merger affects chances of smart city status in first year
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Kakinada: Uncertainty is continuing over the merger of surrounding villages into Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC), despite several efforts towards this move in the last decade. Nine villages, named Turangi, Ramanayyapeta, Valasapakala, Vakalapudi, Indrapalem, Cheediga, Swaminagar, S. Atchutapuram and Pratapnagar Teacher’s Colony were merged into the civic body. But, following a petition against the merger, the Hyderabad High Court stayed the merger of six villages. Elected bodies of all these panchayats have completed their five-year tenure before June 2012. The efforts towards expansion of Kakinada Municipal Corporation picked up momentum after the TDP returned to power in 2014.
The merger issue assumes significance in the wake of Kakinada getting a place in the list of 100 cities to get smart city tag. December 22 is the last date to submit project report in order to find a place among 20 smart cities in the first year. Of the 100 identified smart cities, 20 are selected every year.
In this backdrop, the Hyderabad High Court’s directive to withhold the merger of villages has become a setback to the efforts by officials who have been trying to get the smart city status in the first year itself.
Former sarpanch of Indrapalem and CPM Kakinada city unit president Palivela Veerababu alleged that the TDP leaders of Kakinada Rural approached the court and obtained the stay on merger. As per the court directive, elections for Turangi, Ramanayyapeta, Valasapakala, Vakalapudi, Indrapalem and Cheediga should be conducted first before merger process is initiated. “With this, the government has no option but to conduct polls and get the elected bodies pass a resolution in favour of merger,” he said. He added that Swaminagar, S. Atchutapuram and Pratapnagar Teacher’s Colony were already part of corporation, there is no need for holding elections for them.
When contacted, Kakinada Rural TDP MLA Pilli Ananta Lakshmi, while brushing aside allegations of TDP leaders stalling merger, said that if situation warrants they would approach the court to seek a fresh intervention in support to the TDP government, which favours merger at the earliest.
Anjaneyulu L
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