The demand for demerger of five gram panchayats (GPs) in Andhra Pradesh, situated in close proximity to Telangana’s Bhadrachalam town, gained momentum with aggrieved villagers from the five GPs taking to the streets along the Telangana-Andhra Pradesh border to renew their demand for transferring back their GPs to Telangana.
Last week’s extensive flooding in Agency areas on both sides of the inter-State border turned the spotlight on the ordeals of people living in flood-prone areas in the tribal pockets of both States. Bhadrachalam bore the brunt of massive floods in the Godavari, prompting the Telangana government to announce “permanent measures” to the recurring flood devastation.
This, in turn, led to renewed demand for transfer of Kannaigudem, Pichukalapadu, Yetapaka, Gundala and Purushothapatnam from Andhra Pradesh back to Telangana. These five GPs, once part of the erstwhile Khammam district in the united Andhra Pradesh, were merged with residuary Andhra Pradesh as per the AP Reorganisation (Amendment) Act in 2014, in the aftermath of the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and formation of Telangana.
