North Andhra Forum Demands Statutory Council, ₹8,000 Crore for Development

Quick Summary

• Hanumanthu Lajipathirai, Chairman of the North Andhra Development Advisory Forum and former Vice-chancellor of Dr.B.R. Ambedkar University-Srikakulam,urged the Andhra Pradesh government to create an exclusive Regional Council for North Andhra with statutory powers.
• He proposed allocating ₹8,000 crore for completing key irrigation projects such as Sujala Sravanthi, Vamsadhara Phase-II, and Jhanjavati to address large-scale migration and support lasting livelihoods in the region.
• The suggested council would include local Ministers, MPs, mlas, and MLCs as ex-officio members to ensure coordinated decision-making on regional development matters.
• Mr.Lajipathirai recommended investigating agro-based industry closures (e.g., sugar and jute mills in Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts) that have adversely impacted rural economies.
• While Visakhapatnam has seen rapid urban growth, surrounding areas remain underdeveloped; balanced regional development is essential.
• The Forum plans roundtable conferences across districts to gather public input on health care, education systems, infrastructure challenges.

Indian Opinion Analysis

Mr. Hanumanthu Lajipathirai’s appeal highlights long-standing developmental disparities within the North Andhra region of Andhra Pradesh. Proposals like creating a Regional council with statutory power aim at addressing structural inefficiencies in governance by promoting more tailored solutions specific to local issues. With migrations driven partly by incomplete irrigation projects affecting agriculture-dependent livelihoods-as indicated by stalled works like Vamsadhara Phase-II-the urgency behind these recommendations seems grounded in practical needs.

The focus on agro-industry rehabilitation aligns with restoring rural economic balance but also underscores neglect regarding sustaining industrial hubs integral to employment generation. If brought into action effectively-through sufficient budget allocation (₹8,000 crore requested) alongside robust oversight mechanisms-the measures could serve not only as immediate relief but as long-term investments towards equitable development spanning both urban centers like visakhapatnam and its peripheral regions.

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