Even as the Andhra Pradesh government is preparing to take a decision on the reorganisation of districts, several people and civil society organisations are coming up with demands to set up their regions as separate districts.The Rampachodavaram Jilla Sadana Samiti (Forum for achieving Rampachodavaram district) in East Godavari is one such group.
Rampachodavaram is presently a revenue sub-division and designated as an Integrated Tribal Development Area (ITDA) owing to different tribal groups residing in the region. According to the government, Rampachodavaram ITDA consists of over 2.36 lakh tribal population in15 mandals, including four sub-plan mandals.
The Chief Secretary is heading a high level committee which is looking into different aspects, while carving out 25 districts out of the existing 13 districts, along with top bureaucrats from different departments. According to reports, the government is indicatively looking at turning the 25 Parliamentary constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, into districts, for the purpose of delivering governance to the people.
For the people of Rampachodavaram, this has become a bone of contention, as it would mean that they would have to travel long distances, most often by foot, to reach Araku. Rampachodavaram is one of seven Assembly constituencies that fall under the Araku Parliamentary constituency, which is spread across Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts.
Tribal rights activists fear that this may lead to dilution of their rights provided under the Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Speaking to TNM, Rampachodavaram Jilla Sadhana Samiti (RJSS) Convener Akkisa Balu said, “Tribals from hillock areas already find it difficult even to come to Rampachodavaram and still have to walk due to lack of transport facilities. Shifting the district headquarters to Araku which is 250 km away, would turn into a nightmare."
Balu said that several issues especially pertaining to tribals have to be dealt with intervention of the Collector of the district.
“There is already a demand to set up Rampachodavaram as a district, given the region's backwardness. An official study was also done, so it would be fair to set up a district here itself for administrative convenience. This would give fair access to the tribal communities for governance and welfare schemes," he added.
Ex-Rampachodavaram MLA Seetamshetty Venkateshwara Rao, who has also backed the demand, opined that existing resources and buildings that are being used by the Sub Collector and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in the town can be used as offices for the Collector and District Superintendent of Police before full fledged buildings are constructed.
The RJSS also said that setting up a district headquarters would also result in development in the field of education and healthcare in the region.
The activists plan to meet East Godavari District Collector and officials in the high level committee formed by the state government to highlight the need for a district headquarters in Rampachodavaram.
Others however, feel that the creation of the district would only address a part of the problem.
“Creation of new districts will not in any way alter the role or the structure of the ITDAs. The idea of smaller districts can bring the government closer to the tribals provided adequate safeguards are put in place. In my view, unless the special laws, namely, Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) and the Forest Rights Act (FRA) are enforced fully, mere creation of a new district is not going to help the tribals. Under both these laws, the tribal ‘Gram Sabha’ has a decisive role in the setting up of tourism projects, allowing mining activity etc. At present, these laws are not being enforced, causing immense harm to the tribal interests,” says EAS Sarma, a well-known activist and a retired bureaucrat.
“Good governance implies transparency in the way the public authorities function and their public accountability. If these two requirements are not fulfilled, creating new districts will not automatically help improve governance,” he added.