Penukonda, Puttaparthi in race for new district headquarters

The race is on, who will win the title of “DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS”, with accompanying material benefits, power, name and fame? If one is to believe sathya sai baba’s endless predictions of the glory of Puttaparthi verily as the center of the world, thanks to his birth there as Avatar (god himself), then it must certainly be Puttaparthi that will win the title! But alas, it looks like Penukonda – with its thriving economy, might win instead. Stay tuned!

Penukonda, Puttaparthi in race for new district headquarters

Ravi P Benjamin
Hans News Service
2 Dec 2021 12:26 AM IST

Anantapur: The process of bifurcation of Anantapur district into two districts is now activated with the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy setting the tone for the formation of 13 more districts. Penukonda and Puttaparthi leaders are contending for making their respective towns as the headquarters of the new district, which is under the active consideration of the State Chief Secretary.

Penukonda MLA and Roads and Buildings Minister M Sankara Narayana is silently working behind the scenes to neutralise the importance of Hindupur Assembly constituency and project Penukonda as the right choice for making it as the second district headquarters, in the context of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy constituting a committee to look into the bifurcation of districts, headed by the state chief secretary. Under the new government policy, every Parliamentary constituency will be bifurcated into a district. The district has two Parliamentary constituencies, one Hindupur and the other Anantapur.

Sankara Narayana told The Hans India that he had put forth his argument in favour of Penukonda as the capital of the new district to the committee headed by the chief secretary. It is up to the government to decide, he added. The YSRCP leaders strategy is to neutralise the importance of town and prop up the Penukonda town as a prospective modern industrial town.

Even Puttaparthy MLA Sridhar wanted Puttaparthi town to emerge as the headquarters of the new district in the making. Sridhar told The Hans India that he had put forth his viewpoint before the committee impressing upon them the need to zero in on Puttaparthi as it is a global spiritual centre.

The minister it appears has already convinced the Chief Minister and that the state chief secretary might zeroedin on Penukonda as the headquarters to be carved district. Sankara Narayana is pulling all strings to achieve his three objectives, medical college, district headquarters and Parliamentary constituency should be under the domain of Penukonda. Historically Penukonda was the second capital of Sri Krishna Devaraya.

Now, with Penukonda emerging as an important industrial hub, all eyes are on Penukonda as it is going to be a planned and decent town of tomorrow. It is also being considered as a smart city by the Central government. South Korea’s Kia Motors has set the tone for industrialisation of the region with its presence and subsequently hundreds of ancillary industries making a beeline.

https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/penukonda-puttaparthi-in-race-for-new-district-headquarters-717810

Puttaparthi Master Plan Pie in the Sky

Over the last couple of years we have reported several times about the grandiose Puttaparthi development plans proposed by various ardent devotees and dignitaries, some in positions of power. The lump sum for this plan was quoted as 1,000 crore rupees (about $133 million dollars). Read this 2019 post Master Plan for Puttaparthi? and its 2020 follow up Master Plan for Puttaparthi? UPDATED! for the amusing and bewildering details.

Now, yet again, news has emerged that, in spite of the auspicious tenth death day celebrations of Sathya Sai Baba, the development plans are going nowhere. Local reporter Ravi P Benjamin of The Hans India (an up and coming English-language daily newspaper, published in the Indian States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as well as in New Delhi) voices serious doubt whether it will amount to much more than a bridge and some river beatification. Ouch! In a recent article, dated November 27 2021, Benjamin paints a rather dismal picture, in spite of the upbeat caption (Tourist potential of Puttaparthi township needs to be tapped). A few quotes:

“…the plan did not have any support from the state government nor was any serious effort made at the state level to take it up with the Union government…”

“…even the Union Ministry of Tourism had never viewed Puttaparthi as a potential tourist centre. Neither had it given substantial funds for its development during the past 40 years…”

“…misfortune is haunting the town and unless the Baba is reborn here, it is unlikely to change the fortunes of what appears to be a god-forsaken land…”

Anantapur: Tourist potential of Puttaparthi township needs to be tapped

And here is the link to the article itself, plus the whole article quoted underneath.

https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/anantapur-tourist-potential-of-puttaparthi-township-needs-to-be-tapped-717152

Anantapur: The beautiful spiritual township Puttaparthi shot to International fame when Sathya Sai Baba was alive. Hundreds of foreign devotees of Baba visited the town and as a result, a lot of infrastructure was developed both by the Sathya Sai Central Trust as well as private stakeholders, who viewed the town as having a great potential for tourism development.

Even though the town was a destination for Prime Ministers and Presidents of the country but neither the successive Central and state governments had ever evinced interest in taking advantage of town’s international stature. After the advent of new government in 2019 in the state, at the district collector’s level there was an initiative to make some beginning in this regard and several departments had been roped in and a committee was formed with the officers and MLA Sridhar with an announcement of Rs 1,000 crore development and investment plan with tourism and private parties stakes in it. At the outset the Rs 1,000 crore investment plan was a proposal sent to the Central government for its consideration. But the plan did not have any support from the state government nor was any serious effort made at the state level to take it up with the Union government.

Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpay and P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh were visitors to Prashanthi Nilayam and top industrialists in the country were devotees of the Baba and they keep visiting the town but even the Union Ministry of Tourism had never viewed Puttaparthi as a potential tourist centre. Neither had it given substantial funds for its development during the past 40 years.

Except for the bridge built over Chitravati river at a cost of Rs 18 crore of late nothing really happened. Local MLA Sridhar said that the Piligrim town will be developed on the lines of Icon City in Mantralaya. Sathya Sai National Park, underground drainage and underground power cables and decent roads were proposed. An R&B circuit guest house, food park and Yoga Wellness Centre was proposed as part of a Rs 1,000 crore plus development project. APIIC promised to provide 100 acres of land for Food Park. Roads and Buildings department would invest Rs 350 crore on the 31.5 km ring road development covering Manillakunta Cross, Kothacheruvu, Puttaparthi and Bukkapatnam mandals. Already 60 acres had been identified for the Yoga Wellness Centre.

Of course, Chitravati riverbed beautification has been taken up and as part of the project, a bridge has been built.

Sathya Sai devotees and citizens of the town and hundreds of devotees who made Puttaparthi their home are a disappointed lot as scores of VVIPs and VIPs interest in the town too did not change the fate of the town with a promising destiny.

One devotee, Sharmila from the north India who made the town her home said, Kerala is fortunate to be called ‘God’s own Country’ but misfortune is haunting the town and unless the Baba is reborn here, it is unlikely to change the fortunes of what appears to be a god-forsaken land, she muttered.

Light At the End of the Tunnel?

So, is Benjamin right and is this plan another flight of fancy, based on the supposed worldwide attraction of the late Sathya Sai Baba? God knows the selfproclaimed avatar was wont to predict a golden future not only for the planet but for India and his abode, Prasanthi Nilayam, in particular and his alleged birthplace Puttaparthi (and himself) especially. The whole world would flock to him/it, no doubt about it. Yet, many of his predictions have long since proven to be false. See for instance this major earlier post on this blog: SOME OF SATHYA SAI BABA’S FAILED PREDICTIONS « Sathya Sai Baba Deceptions Exposed. Now, Benjamin is perhaps not the most discerning or independent journalist around, judging from his unquestioning stance in his interview with Rathnakar, Baba’s nephew, only 3 days earlier, on the occasion of SSB’s 96th birthday celebrations (Strange, as the man is dead for a decade already!)

Anantapur: Sathya Sai Trust continues service activities relentlessly (thehansindia.com) Still, Benjamin has the inside track, it seems. Which does not bode well for the overgrown hamlet in the middle of, well, nowhere. At least for now, neither Puttaparthi nor Prasanthi Nilayam figure in the Top 25 of tourist attractions in Andhra Pradesh on Holidify (Holidify Andhra Pradesh Top destinations Places-to-visit). God-forsaken, devotee Sharmila muttered. Abandoned by man, I would say.