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'Free Zone' Controversy Reaches Amaravati!

'Free Zone' Controversy Reaches Amaravati!

Remember the word 'free zone' which triggered Telangana statehood agitation in 2009 while eventually led to bifurcation of United Andhra Pradesh and formation of Telangana State in 2014.

The same 'free zone' controversy has now reached AP's new capital city Amaravati.

In 2009, the Supreme Court had declared Hyderabad as 'free zone' with regard to jobs and education, wherein people from Telangana, Rayalaseema and Seemandhra enjoy equal opportunities.

This resulted in sharp protests in Telangana and subsequently KCR announced to take up 'fast-on-to-death' agitation to protest Hyderabad as 'free zone'  in November 2009, leading to his arrest, violent incidents on Osmania University campus, Telagana agitation spreading like wild fire forcing then UPA government to take a decision in favour of creating Telangana State in December 2009 and rest is all history.

Now, with AP government building a new world class capital city Amaravati by planning all development projects there, the demand for declaring Amaravati as 'free zone' cropped up from Rayalaseema region to ensure that all people of all regions in AP get equal opportunities in education and jobs in Amaravati else they fear another separatist movements along the lines of Telangana statehood agitation may come up in the coming days.

Kurnool industrialist and former minister in Congress government TG Venkatesh, known for fighting for the rights of Rayalaseema region ever since T-agitation intensified, came up with the demand of declaring Amaravati as 'free zone'.

TG also demanded that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu should give equal importance to all the districts in AP else there is a danger of state facing another separatist movement if he shows bias towards any region in AP.

TG also proposed TDP government consider Rayalaseema region as capital during summer and coastal Andhra as capital during winter to satisfy people of all regions.

TG warned that TDP government focuses entirely on Amaravati, another separatist movement in AP is bound to come in the near future.

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