A Long Time Coming
Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy who recently visited the Visakha Agency area in Visakhapatnam district announced a slew of schemes for the tribals. The thickly forested Agency area is located on the Andhra-Orissa border. Several inspections of the region were carried out before the CM's visit to ward off any Naxal attack. Kiran Kumar is the first CM to visit the area after Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy to make a trip to this region. Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh and union tribal affairs minister Kishore Chandra Deo were also present as the CM announced a Rs 528-crore package for laying of 962 km of roads in the Agency area. Both Jairam Ramesh and Kishore Chandra Deo said they supported a moratorium on all mining activity in the area. The CM said the state government would not violate any constitutional provisions while implementing projects. Apart from roads, Kiran Kumar announced medical camps and health programmes for the tribals. The visit, taken up with much fanfare, saw several Congress leaders and state ministers in attendance.