‘Sri Balaji’ district formation augurs well for Tirupati

Padmavathi Nilayam getting a facelift

While many institutions in Tirupati, be it a university or State-run college or government hospital, are named after ‘Sri Venkateswara’, the district headquartered at the temple city is quite uniquely named as ‘Sri Balaji’, albeit another name for the Lord of Seven Hills.

The carving of ‘Sri Balaji’ district out of Chittoor has been on the cards for decades. Technically, the Registration and Revenue departments have reckoned the area under the Tirupati revenue division as ‘Sri Balaji district’ for over two decades, though it had never been officially formed. It is due to this reason that the announcement evoked little response, either positive or negative, from the denizens.

The district runs almost concurrent with the Tirupati parliamentary constituency, having the Assembly segments of Tirupati, Srikalahasti, Satyavedu, Sullurpeta, Gudur, Venkatagiri and Sarvepalli (the last four falling under SPSR Nellore district). Chandragiri from Chittoor Lok Sabha has been appended to Sri Balaji, bringing the number to eight.

However, the social media is agog with the talk on the tail-end Sarvepalli tagged to Nellore district in tune with the local aspirations. Even district officials are unclear about this fact, which may see light only after the release of the gazette, expected late on April 3.

Revenue divisions have been realigned and formed with Tirupati, Gudur and Naidupet to maintain regional balance and apparently to assuage the ruffled feathers. Rectifying the age-old anomaly, mandals which were earlier part of Chittoor (Narayanavanam and Ramachandrapuram) and Madanapalle (Yeravaripalem and Chinnagottigallu) revenue divisions, have been brought under Tirupati.

Meanwhile, the ‘Padmavathi Nilayam’, designated to be the transit Collectorate, is getting a facelift ahead of its formal inaugural on April 4. The mammoth edifice is getting a fresh coat of paint, and cubicles and furniture added to accommodate the various government departments. The staff employed at the headquarters have been instructed to attend duty this weekend to hasten the transition process.