Capital Panel gets hostile reception in Kurnool

KURNOOL: The Sivarama Krishnan committee, the expert committee constituted by the Centre to study the various alternatives for the capital of the Residuary AP state, received a hostile reception by the angry Kurnool-as-Captial protagonists / votaries here.

The protestors shouted slogans like: 'We want justice', 'We want Kurnool as Capital', 'Go back Sivarama Krishnan Committee', 'Don't turn up as Sri Krishna Committee', etc.

Even as the committee members turned red faced and were embarrassed, District Collector C Sudharshan Reddy directed the police to disperse the protesters and the latter promptly carried out the order.

Later, Krishnan and his team members - Aromar Ravi, Jagan Shah, KT Ravindran and K Nithin - visited some historical places in the town like the erstwhile Raj Bhavan, MLA Quarters, Assembly, etc. of the then AP capital - Kurnool. (It may be mentioned here that the Capital was shifted to Hyderabad after the formation of Andhra Pradesh state in 1956).

The committee then received oral and written representations from the district officials, people's representatives and other stake-holders from various walks of life on the demand for / advisability of making Kurnool the capital of the new state.

Those who met the committee and submitted their representations included TDP MLAs BV Jayamohan Reddy and BC Janardhan Reddy, former minister KE Prabhakar, YSRCP MLAs SV Mohan Reddy, M Manigandhi, B Rajanath Reddy, B Rajasekar Reddy, Gouru Cheritha and Y Ijayya, BJP state vice president K Kapileswaraiah, former MLA Katasani Rambhupal Reddy, Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samithi Party (RPSP) leader Surendra Reddy, Kurnool Rajadhani Sadana Samithi chairman V Janardhan Reddy, district Bar Association president K Laxmi Narayana, Rayalaseema Janata Party founder K Satyanarayana Gupta and representatives of various associations, including students unions.

They all explained the suitability of making Kurnool the capital of the new state in view of the availability of land, water and other resources in the form of minerals, sand, stones.

They pointed out that 32,000 acres of unused government land was available for building all the administrative offices, while two rivers - Krishna and Tungabhadra - passed by the town and could help meet the drinking wate needs of the town. Also, cheap labour was available aplenty.

They also mentioned that the town was a safe bet as it had never once been either flooded or hit by earthquakes. It also had good road and rail connectivity to many places.

They also argued that the capital of Residuary Andhra Pradesh state should be located only in Kurnool as per the 1937 Sribagh Pact, and water facilities should be improved, industries, IT, health and other sectors should be developed in Rayalaseema region.