Andhra Pradesh: Sri Balaji likely to be renamed Tirupati district

AMARAVATI: The state government might change the name of Sri Balaji district as Tirupati keeping in view of sentiments of devotees and locals.
The residents of Tirupati have been protesting against the proposal to name the new district after Sri Balaji. Although it reflects the name of Lord Sri Venkateswara, the Sri Balaji is mostly popular in north India. Locals are also aggrieved that Tirupati might lose its significance once the new district is named after Sri Balaji.
Planning secretary GSRKR Vijay Kumar said that chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed them to ready the final blueprint for districts taking all the reasonable and genuine demands of the public.
"We will forward the final proposal to the cabinet after taking the final consent of the chief minister. The final notification will be issued after taking all the public grievances and suggestions into consideration," he explained. He, however, did not disclose what would be the changes to be made to the draft notification.
Sources said that five new revenue divisions are expected to be announced as part of the final notification. Sources said that the government has also decided to retain Kandukur revenue division, one of the oldest divisions in the state. The draft notification proposed demerger of the division and merger of entire Kandukur assembly constituency in Nellore district. The government had announced a new division for Prakasam district at Kanigiri. Sources said that Kanigiri division will be continued even after retaining Kandukur division.
Similarly, a new revenue division is expected to be granted for Sattenapalle in Guntur district. The division would cover Sattenapalle and Pedakurapadu constituency which would be part of Palnadu district with Narasaraopet as its head quarter.
Sources said that the state government might make some changes to Rampachodavaram revenue division keeping in view of the vast area it covers in the agency. Rampachodavaram is part of Alluri Sitaramaraju district with Paderu as its headquarters. Similarly, Rajam is likely to get a new revenue division in Vizianagaram district. The big-industrial group believed to have requested for the grant of new revenue division for Rajam.