The long-cherished aspiration of the upland communities in Prakasam district materialized on Wednesday as the new district of Markapuram was formally inaugurated. The coalition government, honoring a pledge made by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, set the new administrative unit into motion, sparking jubilant New Year-like festivities across the western Prakasam region.
Administrative Rollout and Celebrations
Although the operational launch was initially slated for January 1, the state government issued orders a day earlier, on Tuesday. This early move triggered spontaneous celebrations, with locals, ruling party leaders, and various organizations bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets to mark the historic occasion.
The state administration appointed key officers to lead the new district. Prakasam district collector P Rajababu was named the in-charge collector, joint collector Ronanki Gopalakrishna as the in-charge joint collector, and SP Harshavardhan Raju as the in-charge Superintendent of Police. All three assumed their roles in Markapuram amid significant fanfare, with supporters from the ruling TDP, Janasena, and BJP parties cheering them on.
The event was graced by the presence of Social Welfare Minister Dr. DBV Swamy, MLAs Mukku Ugra Narasimha Reddy and Kandula Narayana Reddy, along with other senior political figures.
Makeshift Headquarters in Rehabilitation Colony
Following the commencement of the district formation process months ago, the Prakasam district administration scouted for suitable buildings in Markapuram, a small revenue divisional headquarters town. After several visits post the draft notification last month, officials identified a building in the Veligonda project oustees colony on Tarlupadu road.
This three-storey structure, with up to 24 rooms, will serve as the makeshift collectorate, housing offices for the district collector, joint collector, district revenue officer, district manager-civil supplies, and district panchayaraj officer. Social activist Venkateswara Reddy noted the symbolic significance, stating that senior officials found shelter in the very colony built for families displaced by the Veligonda project, as no other suitable building was available in the town.
Divisional officers have now been directed to locate government or private buildings to establish the remaining district offices within a fortnight.
Constituencies Returned to Prakasam Fold
The reorganization also addressed previous territorial changes. The Addanki and Kandukur constituencies, which were separated from Prakasam district during the YSRCP regime, have been reinstated. Addanki, which was part of Bapatla district for nearly four years, and Kandukur, which was merged into Nellore district, are now back under the Prakasam district administration.
In a significant development for Addanki, a region known for its granite resources, the state government has also granted it the status of a new revenue division.
The creation of Markapuram district marks a major administrative reshuffle aimed at improving governance and bringing administration closer to the people in this region of Andhra Pradesh.
