On the eve of Republic Day, the Andhra Pradesh government has issued a new official gazette notification for carving out 13 new districts in the state under the AP Districts Formation Act, Section 3(5). These have been carved out from the existing 13 districts, bringing the number of districts in the state to 26.

The new names of the new 13 districts are as follows, Manyam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Kona Seema, Eluru, NTR District, Bapatla, Palnadu, Nandyal, Sri Satyasai, Annamayya and Sri Balaji district.

The names of the existing 13 districts include Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, Anantapuram, Kadapa, Kurnool and Chittoor were also carried while forming the new districts.

The new districts are Srikakulam district with Srikalam as headquarter, Vizianagaram district with Vizianagaram as headquarter, Manyam district with Parvathipuram as headquarter, Alluri Sitharama Raju district with Paderu as headquarter, Visakhapatnam district with Visakhapatnam as headquarter, Anakapalli district with Anakapalli as headquarter, Kakinada district with Kakinada as headquarter, Kona Seema district with Amalapuram as headquarter, East Godavari district with Rajamahendravaram as headquarter, west Godavari district with Bheemavaram as headquarter.

Eluru district with Eluru as headquarter, Krishna district with Machilipatnam as headquarter, NTR District with Vijayawada as headquarter, Guntur district with Guntur as headquarter, Bapatla district with Bapatla as headquarter, Palnadu district with Narasaraopeta as headquarter, Prakasam district with Ongole as headquarter, SPS Nellore district with Nellore as headquarter, Kurnool district with Kurnool as headquarter, Nandyal district with Nandyal as headquarter, Ananthpuram district with Ananthapuram as headquarter, Sri Satyasai District with Puttaparthy as headquarter,.

YSR Kadapa with Kadapa as headquarter, Annamayyaa district with Rayachoty as headquarter, Chittoor district with Chittoor as headquarter and Sri Balaji district with Tirupati as headquarter.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has named the NTR District as he announced during his padayatra. NTR was the founder of the Telugu Desam Party and a former Chief Minister for Andhra Pradesh. Now, the TDP is in opposition and headed by NTR’s son-in-law and former CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

Apart from that, Jagan Mohan Reddy carried his father YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s name to the YSR Kadapa, which was renamed to the Kadapa after the unfortunate and sudden demise of the leader in 2009. The state government also carried the existing name of Sri Potti Sriramulu for the Nellore district and it is being called SPS Nellore.

Recognising the freedom fighter Alluri Sitharama Raju, the state government named a district after him. Respecting the religious background of the areas, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government named the districts including Sri Balaji District, Annamayya district, and Sri Satyasai District.

At the same time, giving priority to the long-pending demands of the Palnadu people and its history, the government formed a new district in the name of Palnadu, separating some parts from the existing Guntur district.

Highlighting nature, the government named Kona Seema as a district, separating certain parts from the existing East Godavari district. Manyam district is formed separating the parts from existing Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts, giving priority to the agency areas.