In Telangana's Birth, Many See A Chance For Seemandhra

By Vijay Raghava Reddy | Vijayawada

ANALYSIS Seemandhra has been grieving ever since the Telangana Bill was passed in Parliament, paving the way for the region to be turned into India's 29th state by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. While groups for a united Andhra Pradesh have moved Supreme Court against that division, some others have taken it up as a challenge.

Entrepreneurs from Seemandhra, who have had a role in Hyderabad's success story as an IT hub and a global city at large, say they will develop their region from scratch. Industrial heads, builders and businessmen held a meeting in Vijayawada in central Andhra Pradesh today to chart the road ahead.
"We can make a city like Hyderabad in some years with same or better infrastructure. The advantage is that it could be among the most well-planned cities in India," says Pattabhirama, member of the Andhra Pradesh Chamber of Commerce.

Choosing a capital for Seemandhra, which will now form the residuary state, however is not going to be an easy task. While Guntur and Vijayawada, clubbed together, is a frontrunner, others like Ongole, Vizag in eastern Andhra Pradesh, and Kurnool in Rayalaseema are also likely to be tough contenders. 

Entrepreneurs from these areas, who claim a lion's share of the credit for Hyderabad's growth over the years, say they will similarly help build the 13 districts of Seemandhra.

"We should be given the special status tag for 10 instead of five years," adds Mr Pattabhirama, referring to the Special Category Status announced for Seemandhra on Thursday, which will entitle it to Central assistance. 

Most industrialists say they have learnt more than one lesson from the Telangana episode. "Vizag could be the industrial hub, there can be government offices in Rayalaseema, High Court could be in Ongole, Vijayawada can be the financial and commercial capital... We don't want to go through the same again so development should be across the region," says Ramana Rao, President of CREDAI (Confederation of Real Estate Development Association of India).