Telangana agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has written a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah, and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu urging them to return five villages surrounding Bhadrachalam back to Telangana.
In his letter sent on Wednesday, Tummala pointed out that during the 2014 bifurcation, while Bhadrachalam town remained in Telangana, five nearby gram panchayats — Yatapaka, Kannaigudem, Pichukalapadu, Purushottapatnam, and Gundala — were merged with Andhra Pradesh.
He requested that the issue be revisited under the ongoing State Reorganisation discussions between the two Telugu states, calling for “a compassionate approach that fulfills the long-standing aspirations of Bhadrachalam’s tribal and local population.”
Highlighting the difficulties faced by residents of these border villages, the minister said that the local Adivasi families depend on Bhadrachalam for healthcare, education, and transportation, but the inter-state boundary has created severe hurdles.
“Even small errands require crossing inter-state checkpoints, emergency medical services are delayed, and administrative jurisdictions often overlap — causing confusion and distress,” Tummala wrote.
He added that the area lies within a Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-sensitive zone, which demands coordinated policing.
“Bringing this entire stretch under a single state’s administration will strengthen governance and improve law and order,” he observed.
Tummala also pointed to the complications arising from the temple lands of Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy at Bhadrachalam being located partly in Andhra Pradesh.
“The temple is in Telangana, but its associated lands and properties are in Purushottapatnam village in Andhra Pradesh. This split jurisdiction hampers record management and developmental planning for the temple,” he said.
Due to land constraints, he added, the temple faces difficulties in securing space for facilities such as dumping yards and auxiliary structures.
“Integrating the five villages with Telangana will boost the temple’s development and preserve the historic tribal-cultural heritage of the region,” he wrote.
The minister stressed that the demand is not politically motivated but a genuine administrative and emotional appeal.
“For over a decade, local gram sabhas, tribal communities, and public organizations have been repeatedly urging for this merger,” he noted.