New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday formally notified the formation of 13 new districts in the state, taking the total number to 26. The government initiated the process to carve out the new districts in January this year, with the cabinet approving the proposal on March 30.What are the new districts called?The new districts are Manyam, carved out of Vizianagaram; Anakapalli and Alluri Sitarama Raju carved out of Visakhapatnam; Kakinada and Konaseema carved out of East Godavari; Eluru carved out of West Godavari; Palnadu and Bapatla carved out of Guntur; Nandyal carved out of Kurnool; Sri Satya Sai carved out of Anantapur; Sri Balaji carved out of Chittoor; Annamaya carved out of Kadapa; and NT Rama Rao carved out of the Krishna district.The government said it had received over 17,500 representations, suggestions and objections from across the state on the creation of the new districts and revenue divisions, and additions and deletions of the areas in the new districts.A government ad notifying the formation of 13 new districts. Photo: By arrangementWhy have the new districts been created?In a statement on Monday, Jagan said that the new districts would make it easier for officials to deliver government schemes. He said, “People have accepted and appreciated the decentralised form of government as the schemes are directly delivered to their doorstep, and that the same is being extended to the districts now”.“We have seen the development through decentralised administration in the form of village and ward secretariats. We are now decentralising at the district level as well. From now on, AP is a state with 26 districts. We have at least one parliamentary constituency per district,” Reddy said.During the poll campaign for the 2019 assembly elections, Jagan had promised that his party would make every Lok Sabha constituency a district if voted to power. While the state has 25 Lok Sabha seats, the Araku constituency will be split between two districts, one of which was created to include majority tribal areas in East Godavari and Visakhapatnam.Each district will now have six to eight assembly segments, except in the Konaseema district.Why now?Though Jagan had made the promise to establish new districts during the 2019 election campaign, the timing of the move is an attempt to curb anti-incumbency sentiments. The YSR Congress party is more than midway through its term and some of its policies – like the decision to establish three capitals instead of one – have proven unpopular. The chief minister is reported to have admitted privately that the party may have to drop nearly half of its MLAs in the next assembly election, which will happen concurrently with the 2024 general elections.Jagan’s cabinet is also set for a major overhaul, another move seen as a way to combat anti-incumbency. The outgoing ministers would be appointed as coordinators in the districts and the party hopes that their popularity will also boost the party’s chances.(With PTI inputs)
