The Group of Ministers (GoM),
Ministry of Home affairs (Centre – State Division),
Government of India,
New Delhi.
Sub: suggestions with regard to the special needs of Backward Regions and Districts.
The
opinion of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) that the state should
remain united was informed to you through our letter dated November 3,
2013. We again reiterate about the necessity of keeping the state
united.
The severe inequalities in growth between
different regions and districts and between different social classes
would not go away by just keeping the state united. In fact the present
pursuit of market-driven policies is resulting in the intensification of
these inequalities. Similarly by just bifurcating the state these
inequalities and uneven growth would not vanish on its own. In fact,
post -division these may actually intensify and lead to newer forms of
regionalism.
Therefore, irrespective
of the state being united or divided, there is immediate need to take
steps to develop the backward regions and districts. Since the GoM has
sought opinion on this aspect also, we bring to your notice the
following suggestions.
(1) The
centre should help the state in terms of financial assistance and
assured water allocations to ensure the completion of projects in
drought-prone, backward regions.
A)
The centre should help financially to complete the following projects:
Handri-Neeva (useful for Kurnool-Anantapur districts), Galeru-Nagari
(for Kadapa-Chittoor districts), Kalwakurthy and Nettampadu (for
Mahbubnagar) Veligonda (for Prakasam, Nellore, Kadapa), Srisailam Left
Bank Canal (for Nalgonda). And also help in securing assured allotments
of water for these projects.
B)
Proper Justice was not done to Andhra Pradesh in allotting reasonable
amount of assured water from Krishna River by Brijesh Kumar tribunal.
Central government is requested to intervene in redressing the in
balances in allotment of water by negotiating with the other riparian
states.
C) The centre should bear the entire cost of Pranahita-Chevella project.
D) Center Should help Financially to complete the ongoing Thotapalli, VanshaDhara projects in North Andhra.
(2) Neglect
of education is nothing but neglect of backward regions and the weaker
sections of the society and throwing them further back. Literacy in the
state is 67.7 per cent, behind the all India average of 74.1 per cent.
It has slipped in ranking from 28th position in 2001 to 31st in 2011.
Neglect of state governments in proper allocations in budgets is the
main reason. While the average spending on education for other states
during 2009-10 has been 15.4 per cent of budget, in AP it was only 10.4
per cent.
In 675 Mandals the rate of literacy is
bellow that of the state. Most of these Mandals are predominantly in
backward regions and backward districts, especially in Srikakulam,
Vijayanagaram, Vishakhapatnam, Mahaboobnagar, Kurnool, Medak, Nalgonda,
Khammam, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Prakasam, Anantapuram. People here do not
have sufficient livelihood opportunities. They also lack the necessary
skill sets and access to quality education to utilize opportunities in
other developing centres.
A)
Therefore, at least two residential schools must be started in every
such Mandal and provide quality education to at least one child in every
poor and middle class household. The government should identify areas
that are backward in terms of access to education from primary to higher
education levels. It should then set up educational complexes for
professional, vocational and general education in clusters of Mandals in
these areas and admit students from families in those areas.
All
the central institutes of Education, Health and research are
concentrated in and around Hyderabad. The Central Government should
sanction institutions of this kind to all the backward regions of the
state.
(3) One of the main
reasons for the backwardness of certain regions is the lack of
development of the SC, STs whose strength is significant in those areas.
Even the disparities among dalits and tribals is a result of the
backwardness of their residential regions.
A)
There are 108 Mandals in scheduled areas that have a large tribal
population. These Mandals are backward in every aspect. The educational
complexes must be built in tribal majority Agency areas like Paderu,
Kurupam, Rampachodavaram, Bhadrachalam, Eturunagaram, Utnoor and
Asifabad.
B)
Similarly, in the plain area also, there are some pockets of tribal
concentration in various districts. To cater to this tribal people
education complexes must built in Devarakonda, Dornakal, Achampeta,
Sullurupeta etc,.
C)
Untouchability and caste discrimination is rampant in those Mandals
that are economically and educationally backward. (Justice Punnaiah
Commission identified these mandals) Mandals in the western areas of the
state bordering Karnataka and Maharashtra, from Chittoor to Adilabad,
fall in this category.
Education
itself is an asset for dalits who do not have any other assets. If we
can provide education to them, it will give scope for bettering their
lives.
Therefore, special residential schools must
be opened additionally in these mandals for children of dalits, tribals
and nomadic artisans.
(4) Minorities,
especially Muslim minorities are backward in all sectors. They
constitute 9.17 per cent in the state and their spread across regions
is: Telangana (12.43 per cent), Rayalaseema (12.5 per cent) and Coastal
Andhra (4.5 per cent). In Hyderabad alone, they constitute 41 per cent
of population. They are also numerous in Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur,
Rangareddy, Guntur and Chittooor districts. Majority of Muslim
population is concentrated in towns. There are 53 towns that have over
20 per cent of Muslim population. Lack of development of Muslims is also
one of the important reasons for the backwardness of those districts.
As majority of these sections depend on non-agricultural work, education
becomes crucial in their development.
Most of the
minority educational institutes, at present, are not being useful to
minorities in any manner. Educational complexes to impart modern
education must be set up in all towns that have predominant Muslim
population.
(5) Unfortunately,
all non-agricultural economic development is concentrated in and around
Hyderabad. This is also one of the main reason for the uneven
development among regions. The governments have failed in decentralising
industrial and modern services sector to regions that had no access to
irrigation facilities. The government should take decisions relating to
industrial and modern services in such a manner as to develop the
backward regions.
A)
It should take steps to develop growth complexes comprising industrial,
IT, education and health sectors in suitable areas in North Telangana
and Rayalaseema districts. It should arrange necessary infrastructure in
terms of power, transport, drinking water, communication etc. Every
such complex should have a Public Sector Unit as a centre-point. It
should also have an airport. Only then would private investments flow to
the region. Such centres can be thought of in districts like Prakasam,
Anantapur, Kurnool, Karimnagar, Warangal.
B)
Priority is to be given to the state in allotting the Gas and Cole
produced in Andhra Pradesh. The central government should revise its
policy immediately in this regard.
C)
The central government should give the necessary incentives and help in
building the ports proposed on the state’s sea coast.
(6) Backwardness
is a multi-dimensional problem and solutions to it must also be
multi-pronged. Steps must be taken to tackle some issues at regional,
some at district level and some others at mandal level also.
Thanking you,
(B.V. Raghavulu) (Julakanti Ranga Reddy)
State Secretary MLA
