Kavitha hails move to restore five Bhadrachalam villages to Telangana, urges Centre to act

BRS MLC K Kavitha welcomed the State government’s request to restore five villages near Bhadrachalam to Telangana. Crediting Telangana Jagruthi’s efforts, she called it a step toward justice and urged the government to keep pressuring the Centre for action.

Hyderabad: Telangana Jagruthi president and BRS MLC K Kavitha welcomed the Congress government’s decision to request the Centre for the restoration of five villages adjoining Bhadrachalam town to Telangana. She termed it a victory for the people and credited Telangana Jagruthi’s sustained efforts for reviving the issue.

The five villages, Etapaka, Kannaigudem, Pichukalapadu, Purushottamapatnam and Gundala, which originally belonged to Telangana, were merged with Andhra Pradesh through a controversial ordinance issued by the Narendra Modi government following the State bifurcation in 2014, allegedly to facilitate the Polavaram project. As a result, lands belonging to the historic Sri Sitarama Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam remained with Andhra Pradesh, while residents of these villages struggled to access basic government services.

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During Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Telangana on Sunday, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao submitted a formal request for the return of the five villages to Telangana.

“These villages have suffered greatly for basic needs like education and healthcare,” Kavitha said, noting that Telangana Jagruthi’s recent round table conference on the issue had reignited a people’s movement.

She appreciated the Congress government for finally responding to the long-standing demand and for writing to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. However, she urged the State government to follow through by exerting continuous pressure on the Centre until the villages are officially merged back with Telangana.

Kavitha called the move a step towards correcting a historical injustice meted out to the locals.