The Telangana government on Thursday urged the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government to restore five gram-panchayats adjoining the temple town of Bhadrachalam back to Telangana in view of their “deep historical, religious, tribal welfare and administrative significance.”
In separate letters written to Union home minister Amit Shah and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana state agriculture minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao said during the reorganisation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in 2014, Bhadrachalam town was retained in Telangana, while five adjoining gram panchayats – Yatapaka, Kannaigudem, Pichukalapadu, Purushothapatnam and Gundala – (comprising 17 revenue villages) were attached to Andhra Pradesh.
“These habitations are geographically positioned like an enclave between Telangana lands on two sides, with the Godavari river and reserve forest areas on the other, creating an administrative island and posing various challenges to both states,” he said.
Rao said over the last decade, there have been persistent representations from the residents, particularly from the tribal communities, urging that these villages be restored to Telangana.
“The aspirations of the people have been expressed consistently through memoranda, peaceful protests, and public forums. Their demand is rooted in ease of access to administration, historic linkage with Bhadrachalam, socio-cultural affinity, and convenience in availing government services,” he said.
Since the Andhra Pradesh government has taken up reorganisation and rationalization of district boundaries, Rao said, as a native of Bhadradri Kothagudem district, he would like to suggest that the five gram-panchayats be restored back to Telangana, in the spirit of cooperative federalism and people centric governance.
The Telangana minister pointed out that while the famous Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Temple in Bhadrachalam is in Telangana, several associated temple lands lie in Purushottapatnam, which is part of Andhra Pradesh.
He said tribal residents face repeated interstate checks and logistical inconvenience for access to education, healthcare and livelihood support. Similarly, law and order coordination challenges exist in this Left-Wing Extremism-affected belt due to split jurisdiction.
“Connectivity between tribal mandals in Telangana and Bhadrachalam town remains discontinuous. Due to land constraints, the Bhadrachalam temple faces difficulties in securing space for facilities such as dumping yards and auxiliary structures. Integrating the five villages with Telangana will boost the temple’s development and preserve the historic tribal-cultural heritage of the region,” he wrote.
The minister stressed that the demand is not politically motivated but a genuine administrative and emotional appeal. “For over a decade, local gram sabhas, tribal communities, and public organizations have been repeatedly urging for this merger,” he noted.
With Andhra Pradesh currently reorganizing district boundaries, Rao urged the Centre to consider excluding these five gram-panchayats from Andhra Pradesh and restoring them to Telangana, as may be facilitated by the Central government under the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
“The Central and Andhra Pradesh governments must take a magnanimous view to fulfil the long-pending aspirations of the people of Bhadrachalam region,” he said.
