In a major administrative overhaul aimed at the decentralisation of governance, Andhra Pradesh on Monday, April 4, created 13 new districts taking the total number to 26. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the new districts in virtual mode from his official residence in Amaravati. Ministers, MPs, MLAs, District Collectors, and Superintendents of Police attended the inaugural program in their respective districts.
The new districts are Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema, Eluru, NTR, Bapatla, Palnadu, Nandyal, Sri Satyasai, Annamayya and Tirupati, which was earlier named Sri Balaji. Prior to the 2019 elections, YSRCP had promised to create one district in each of the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies. The Chief Minister said that while retaining the names of 13 old districts, 13 new districts have been carved out for decentralised, accelerated, and balanced growth and for administrative convenience.
Twenty-one new revenue divisions have also been formed in the district reorganisation process. Bhimavaram and Rajamahendravaram are now the headquarters of West Godavari and East Godavari districts. Nellore district now has the highest population of 24.5 lakh, while Bapatla has the lowest population of 15.8 lakh. Prakasam is the largest district with an area of 14,000 sq km, followed by Alluri Sitharama Raju district with 12,000 sq km.
Jagan pointed out that since the formation of the state nearly seven decades ago, only two districts were created in Andhra Pradesh – Prakasam in March 1970 and Vizianagaram in June 1979. The Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh with a population of 4.96 crore (as per the 2011 census) required new districts. "Till yesterday, we had one district for a population of 38.15 lakh but now the new districts have been structured to have a population of 18 to 23 lakh each," he said. Except for the tribal districts of Manyam and Alluri Alluri Sitharama Raju, all the other districts have six to eight Assembly segments each, he said.
Jagan said the new districts have been formed in accordance with public opinion. He claimed that while naming the new districts, the government took into consideration various factors, including the sentiments of the local residents. Officials informed Jagan on March 30 that nearly 16,600 suggestions and objections were received from the public regarding the new districts, since the draft notification was issued in January, and that changes have been made in line with public opinion. While initially, the districts were formed by taking the parliamentary constituency as a unit, in 12 constituencies, a few mandals were split between districts as per public opinion, Jagan said.
Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan has objected to the reorganisation process, and alleged that the YSRCP government “didn’t take the people’s aspirations, issues of distance in the new districts and other constraints into consideration.” In a media statement issued on April 4 soon after the new districts were officially launched, Pawan Kalyan said, “The tribal people of submerged mandals will face so many hurdles in the district formed with Paderu as headquarters. People of Etapaka and Kukunuru mandals have to travel at least 300 km to reach the district headquarters. That means it will take at least 2-3 days to meet the officers at the district headquarters … The government has to clarify how it will take the administration close to the people with such a lopsided bifurcation of districts,” he said. He added that even in Rayalaseema, people’s opinion was not considered, as there were demands for districts with headquarters in Madanapalle, Hindupur, and Markapuram.
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After officially launching the reorganised districts, CM Jagan congratulated the people of the newly formed 13 districts, and the people's representatives, officials, Collectors, SPs, and other employees who have moved to the new offices in the new districts and are starting work there. Ahead of the launch, on April 2, the state government reshuffled several IAS and IPS officers’ postings in the state, and appointed District Collectors and Superintendents of Police to all 26 newly-carved districts.
Virtual training for all the Collectors will be held next week, an official said. Jagan said that all the Collectors must keep the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in mind, and make a substantial leap toward these goals. He said that SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) are being given to officials in this regard, and Collectors’ performance will be evaluated based on SDGs.
With the formation of new districts, the District Collectorate, SP offices, and other administrative centers are all planned to come together in one place. All of them are going to be set up in integrated complexes in an area of at least 15 acres. Officials said that for now, reasonable infrastructure and transit accommodation have been created for all districts. By April 30, the designs and estimates for the integrated administrative complexes will be finalised, with districts where private buildings have been rented temporarily being prioritised, officials informed Jagan.