Two nagara panchayats proposed in Srikakulam

Srikakulam: Two nagara panchayats have been proposed by the government in Srikakulam district in addition to existing two nagara panchayats. Taking population and revenue into consideration, the government has collected details from the district administration regarding upgradation of Tekkali and Narasannapeta major panchayats into nagara panchayats, Narasannapeta is mandal headquarters and Tekkali is revenue division headquarters.

The government is planning to upgrade major panchayats into nagara panchayats which are having 28,000 population as per 2011 census and crossed Rs 1 crore revenue yearly. Narasannapeta mandal headquarters population is 27,000, yearly revenue is Rs 4.50 crore and its surrounding villages, Jammu, Tamarapalli, Chinnaborigivalasa, Peddaborigivalasa, Gottipalli and Satyavara m population is more than 15,000. All these surrounding villages have been proposed to merge in Narasannapeta.

Tekkali revenue division headquarters population is 29,000, yearly revenue is Rs 2 crore and its surrounding villages, Ravivalasa, Tulusurupalli, Bhagavanpuram, Seethapuram, Akkavaram, Bannuvada, Ayodhyapuram population is 16,000. Following revenue and population as parameters,
the government has upgraded Rajam and Palakonda into nagara panchayats. At present, the district has one municipal corporation, Srikakulam, three municipal towns-Amudalavalasa, Palasa and Itchapuram, two nagara panchayats Palakonda and Rajam.

“Roads, drains, water facility and parks would be provided with the upgradation,” B Koteswara Rao told The Hans India. But the elected bodies in surrounding villages of Narasannapeta and Tekkali are not interested for merger in the proposed nagara panchayats as they fear that taxes would be hiked than providing facilities.