People of Pendurthi have been vehemently opposing the State government’s decision to merge the mandal with the proposed Anakapalle district. Political representatives, elected corporators and members from various organisations are intensifying their campaign against the proposal. Pendurthi MLA A. Adeep Raju from the YSRCP submitted a representation to the government seeking continuation of the mandal in Visakhapatnam district.
Former MLA Bandaru Satyanarayana from the TDP was among the first to raise objection after the decision was announced by the government on January 26. He demanded that the government continue Pendurthi in Visakhapatnam district. He said that Pendurthi has a number of residents working in Shipyard, BHPV, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and a large number of labourers stay in the mandal. For any work, the residents prefer to go to Visakhapatnam, which is barely 5 to 7 km away, than to Anakapalle. He said that the proposal will hurt the sentiments of Pendurthi residents who are well associated with the city.
Signature campaign
An all-party meeting organised recently at Sujatha Nagar, a resolution was passed demanding that the government roll back the decision. Signature campaign is being organised in various wards in Pendurthi to mobilise support on the issue.
TDP leader Peela Srinivasa Rao said that the response for the signature campaign is very good in all the wards. “After collecting one lakh signatures, we would submit it to the District Collector,” he said.
“The decision was taken without consulting the locals. Once it becomes a reality, if some Pendurthi resident has some problem related to law and order and the Collectorate (Administration) he or she has go to Anakapalle, leaving Vizag city,” he said. He said that if the government does not consider its decision, protests will be intensified in the coming days.
Meanwhile, members of various Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) have also objected to the proposal. Some RWA members said the government should focus on creation of amenities along with core city by continuing the constituency in the Visakhapatnam district.
Coordinator of RWAs of Zone – 8 (Pendurthi), P. Madhav, said that already RWA members from Ganesh Colony, Siva Gayatri Nagar and NAD Colony have submitted representations to the District Collector. Soon, rest of the RWA members would also submit the objections, he added.
“In the year 2005, around 32 villages that were under the Panchayat body were merged into the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation(GVMC). But even now, not much development has taken place in our 10 wards. We demand that the government continue us in GVMC and in Visakhapatnam district only. The government must initiate steps for development and provide basic amenities to the public,” he added.
