Protestors stop Satavahana

​Mahabubabad (Warangal): The demand for carving out Mahabubabad district is threatening to take serious proportions with all political parties including the ruling TRS, and various social fora coming together for the common cause but under different umbrellas. While Congress, Telugu Desam, CPI, YSR Congress and CPI-ML New Democracy have formed an All-Party Committee for the cause, the former political JAC leaders along with TRS leaders have formed Manukota Zilla Sadhana Committee.

Since the government set the ball rolling for the creation of new districts recently and with the news spreading that it may announce them on June 2, the Telangana Formation day, demand for new districts picked up in many places of the State and they were getting shriller.

Mahabubabad, also known as Manukota, was no exception with the long-standing demand resurfacing, and this time with vigour as it was demonstrated by the people of the region in the last few days. Mahabubabad, 90 kilometres from Warangal, is one of the biggest revenue divisions in the region since the times of Nizam rule.

As of now it’s the headquarters of Mahabubabad Parliamentary constituency. The town which falls on the rail route of Kazipet-Vijayawada is well connected with the NH-365. It’s learnt that about 2,000 acres of government land is available in the town for the construction of administrative buildings and other facilities.

“At the height of separate State Movement, very often the TRS leaders used to warn Seemandhra leaders saying that they would face ‘Manukota-like incident’. Even a couple of days ago, Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao threatened YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy that he may have to face Manukota-like situation if he comes in the way of Telangana projects,” CPI district joint secretary Brahmanapally Vijaya Saradhi of All-Party Committee told The Hans India, recalling that the region was in the forefront of the separate state agitation.

The same TRS leaders including the people’s representatives who quoted Manukota name every now and then have now forgotten to take the long-standing demand of the locals to the notice of the government, he alleged. It may be mentioned here that Manukota shot to fame when the police were forced to open fire on Telangana activists after the latter pelted stones to prevent YS Jagan, who then opposed separate State, from undertaking his ‘Odarpu Yatra'.

Manukota Zilla Sadhana Samithi convener and former JAC division convener Doli Satyanarayana said: “Though proposals for the creation of Manukota district along with Mancherial (Adilabad district) were mooted during the UPA government it never fructified due to the rulers’ ignorance.

Now the time has come for the State government to recognise the necessity of carving out Manukota district as the region falls way behind in socio-economic development.” The JAC leaders met Deputy Chief Minister K Srihari, IT Minister KT Rama Rao and Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma and submitted their memorandum for the creation of new district Mahabubabad as headquarters.

As part of their agitation on Wednesday, about 300 activists led by JAC leaders blocked Satavahana Express for about half-an-hour at Mahabubabad.v