Rayalaseema state demand resurfaces

“Welcome to Rayalaseema state,” reads  a poster tied to a sign board by  a member of  Rayalaseema Pari Rakshana Samithi (RPRS) at the entrance of Kurnool just after crossing borders of Telangana, representing  the mood of the people from Rayalaseema region comprising of Kurnool, Kadapa, Chitoor  and Anantapur districts of residual Andhra Pradesh.

Hardly one-and-a-half year after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into two states that the demand for a separate state of Rayalaseema has picked up. Recently K Venkata Subba Reddy, the president of Rayalaseema Rashtra Samiti (RRS), yet another outfit floated for separate state, asked the Union government to carve Rayalaseema state with four districts of the region, Prakasam and Nellore from Andhra and few districts from Karnataka and even Tamilnadu bordering Chitoor.

Speaking to the media, he said, “Separate state is the only solution. Successive governments have neglected the region. We demand Union government to carve a separate state by December 2018 with a special package of Rs 10 lakh crore.”

The outfit, just like the TRS floated by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, wants existing 4 districts in AP, and  Krishnagiri, Rayavellore, Bellary and Raichur as a part of the new state. He warned the state government that there will be a regionwide agitation in favour of the statehood.

Meanwhile, former MP and member of YSR Congress Party M V Mysoora Reddy is said have decided to launch an agitation demanding separate state of Rayalaseema. He has been campaigning against pumping huge funds for the construction of Amaravati in coastal AP and opposing the centralization of all sectors at one place.

However, YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who is also opposing the construction of Amaravati on fertile lands, is maintaining silence. Party MLA G Srikanth Reddy is also very vocal about the alleged injustice meted out to the region.