Panchagramalu lands, closed industries and pollution are the key issues in Visakhapatnam West Assembly constituency

Visakhapatnam West Assembly constituency faces challenges like pollution, closed industries, and unresolved land issues, with a keen election contest ahead.

The long-pending issue of ‘panchagramalu lands’ (Simhachalam temple lands), rampant pollution, a couple of closed industries, railway level-crossing gates and traffic congestions are some of the issues, which pose a challenge to the candidates contesting from Visakhapatnam West Assembly constituency, which was formed after the delimitation exercise in 2008.

The total electorate of 2,09,424 (as on March 16, 2024), includes: 1,06,161 women, 1,03,253 men and 10 transgenders. The constituency is dominated by the ‘Gavara’ community to which both the YSRCP and the TDP candidates belong.

The panchagramalu issue has not been resolved by the successive governments. The problem was reportedly created by the then TDP government, which unilaterally had given ryotwari pattas to the Simhachalam Devasthanam during 1996 and 1997.

The promise made by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, during his padayatra before the 2019 election, on coming up with a solution to the long-pending issue remains unfulfilled.

“The RDO court in Visakhapatnam as also the three-member committee of officials, appointed by the government, on the directions of the High Court in 2014, had declared the pattas given by the government as invalid. But, the TDP government instead of abiding by those directions, had banned any financial transactions or constructions on these lands and buildings,” says A. Aja Sarma, general secretary of the Forum for Development of North Andhra (FDNA).

The house and land owners are unable to raise funds to meet their emergency needs. They are not even allowed to undertake repair of their old buildings. The ryotwari pattas issued to the Simhachalam Devasthanam during 1996 and 1997 should be cancelled and land and building owners should be allowed to take up construction and repair of the buildings in accordance with the status quo orders issued by the High Court, he says.

The styrene monomer vapour leak from the LG Polymers plant at RR Venkatapuram, on May 7, 2020, which resulted in the death of at least 12 persons, will continue to haunt the people of this constituency, particularly those living in and around Gopalapatnam area, for the rest of their lives. The compensation of ₹1 crore, announced by the State government, to those who died in the accident, was appreciated by everyone, including the Opposition leaders. The public sector Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL), which was shut down long ago, was taken over by a corporate group, which failed to reopen the plant.