Furor over the New Sri Sathya Sai District Headquarters

After many months of political lobbying and likely bribe-giving, the State of Andhra Pradesh announced 13 proposed new districts in the State of Andhra Pradesh, basically doubling the current 11 districts – most of them formed in 1956 with the creation of the State.

See: “Andhra Pradesh approves creation of 13 new districts”
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amaravati/andhra-pradesh-approves-creation-of-13-new-districts/articleshow/89136083.cms

Shockingly, the small town of Puttaparthi managed, by hook or crook, to snag a new district title (carved out of the current Anantapur District) in the name of its deceased pedophile cheating UNgodly man, “Sri Sathya Sai.” Despite endless controversies and the population at large considering the Baba as a bad joke, the power play resulting in this new district in his hometown is a matter of terrible shame for India at large.

The proposed headquarters is in Puttaparthi town itself, though it has less than 17,000 residents in the entire area, and other hurdles such as severe water shortage, lack of space for government buildings, and limited facilities for non-vegetarian food, schools and entertainment.

See: “Puttaparthi as district headquarters raises concern over sanctity”
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/politics/040222/concern-over-sanctity-of-puttaparthi-when-it-is-made-district-headquar.html

Now there are cries of protests from the losing areas, which in fact are much more appropriate to be hosting the new district headquarters.

Penukonda, for example, was the second capital of the Vijayanagara kingdom, honours the ancestry of the region and already has 600 acres of government land to host new building infrastructure, besides being relatively close to the Bangalore airport with many transportation options available.

See: “Demand for making Penukonda district headquarters grows louder”
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/demand-for-making-penukonda-district-headquarters-grows-louder/article38373095.ece

Meanwhile, Hindupur, the biggest town in the proposed new district with a population of over 200,000, is organising massive protest rallys demanding they be the district headquarters. Hindupur is the headquarters of the Lok Sabha constituency already, with ample easily accessable facilities already in place, which would make this town a much more appropriate choice.

See: “Municipal council seeks dist. headquarter status for Hindupur”
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/municipal-council-seeks-dist-headquarter-status-for-hindupur/article38355617.ece

and

See: “Balayya Babu to sit on a dharna in Hindupur”
https://www.telugu360.com/balayya-babu-to-sit-on-a-dharna-in-hindupur/

The scandalous creation of this district in the name of such a unscrupulous man is embarrassing proof of how politics work: the rich and powerful will always be able to wrangle their way into more power and more riches.