In a significant move to check the spurt in regional feelings amidst demands for bifurcation or trifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the Congress government on Wednesday revived the regional development boards and appointed former ministers as their chairmen.
The regional development boards were formed for the first time in the mid-1970s as part of the Six-Point formula, hammered out by the central government headed by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi in the wake of the separatist agitations in Telangana during 1969-71 and in coastal Andhra/Rayalaseema during 1972-73.
However, the Telugu Desam Party, which came to power in 1983 under the stewardship of N T Rama Rao, had abolished the regional boards. Back then, there were three regional boards -- one each for Telangana, Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra regions -- headed by political appointees who enjoyed the rank of cabinet ministers.
The Congress, which had promised to revive the regional boards soon after coming to power in 2004, however, dilly-dallied on the issue for three years and finally took the decision to form four regional boards.
Now, the coastal Andhra region has two regional boards -- one for North Coastal Andhra and another for South Andhra. There is one regional board each for Telangana and Rayalaseema regions.
For North Coastal Andhra Regional Development Board, former minister Penumatsa Sambasiva Raju has been appointed as chairman. For South Coastal Andhra Regional Development Board, former minister Gade Venkata Reddy is the chairman. The Telangana Regional Development Board is headed by former minister V Purushottam Reddy. For Rayalaseema Regional Development Board, former minister Gali Muddu Krishnama Naidu is the chairman.
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