HYDERABAD/VISAKHAPATNAM: Championing the cause of the three north coastal districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam, the Uttarandhra Rakshana Vedika has demanded the formation of a territorial council for the drought-prone and underdeveloped north coastal region on the lines of Gorkhaland regional council.
Vedika president S S Siva Sankar said here on Thursday that based on the socio-economic factors and backwardness of the region, a separate territorial council should be formed. He said north coastal Andhra should have autonomous status and that it cannot be bracketed under the fertile coastal Andhra region. He said the government should recognise north coastal Andhra as a separate region and not part of the well- developed coastal Andhra region.
Sankar said five lakh workers were migrating from the region every year because of lack of employment. "There are inter-state river disputes between north coastal Andhra and Orissa which have seriously affected the interests of the farming community in the region," he said.
He added that Jammu and Kashmir has two territorial councils, Assam and Meghalaya have three each, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal have one each. "If a territorial council can be proposed for Telangana, why cannot the Centre grant one for us," he sought to know.
Sankar said the vedika would collect the signatures of the people of the three north coastal districts in support of the territorial council. Leaders of the vedika demanded that the Centre formulate a separate policy for all the backward regions in the country.
Vedika president S S Siva Sankar said here on Thursday that based on the socio-economic factors and backwardness of the region, a separate territorial council should be formed. He said north coastal Andhra should have autonomous status and that it cannot be bracketed under the fertile coastal Andhra region. He said the government should recognise north coastal Andhra as a separate region and not part of the well- developed coastal Andhra region.
Sankar said five lakh workers were migrating from the region every year because of lack of employment. "There are inter-state river disputes between north coastal Andhra and Orissa which have seriously affected the interests of the farming community in the region," he said.
He added that Jammu and Kashmir has two territorial councils, Assam and Meghalaya have three each, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal have one each. "If a territorial council can be proposed for Telangana, why cannot the Centre grant one for us," he sought to know.
Sankar said the vedika would collect the signatures of the people of the three north coastal districts in support of the territorial council. Leaders of the vedika demanded that the Centre formulate a separate policy for all the backward regions in the country.
~TOI
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