May be Kuppam Assembly constituency in Chittoor district is one of the VVIP constituencies in India, which is being pampered with high profile projects. The constituency, whose god father is none other than chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, is soon going to have a domestic airport. A separate development authority has been set up to implement the projects. An outer ring road is being built around Kuppam town. The constituency has been represented by Naidu for the past twenty five years, since 1989, and twelve years as chief minister. But the sad story of the constituency is that it is ranked 114 in the availability of drinking water in the state of 175 constituencies and occupies 147 slot in provision of latrine facility for the rural people.
This is not the criticism leveled by the any political party, but an outcome of a survey conducted by prestigious research institute Centre for Economic and Social Science (CESS) and reputed UN agency UNICEF. Another interesting aspect of the study is that the survey is funded by the government of Andhra Pradesh. There are five mandals in Kuppam constituency namely Venkatagiri Kota, Rama Kuppam, Santhipuram, Gudipalle and Kuppam. According to the study three mandals, Santhipuram, Gudipalle and Kuppam, are facing water problem.
This is not predicament of Naidu’s Kuppam constituency alone. Even the Pulivendula constituency, which has been the pocket borough of YSR family, also suffers same problem. Pulivendula constituency, represented now by leader of opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy, is ranked 63 and 86 in drinking water and provision of latrines respectively. Jagan can take heart, the situation is slightly better than Kuppam.
Regarding other VIP constituencies, Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao’s Sattenapalli constituency, during the study period, is ranked 118 and 80 in the drinking water availability and latrine facilities respectively. But, recently, the speaker, after getting elected from the Sattenapalli, he achieved 100 per cent in providing toilet facilities. His previous constituency, now being represented by YSR MLA Gopireddy Srinivas Reddy has earned a rank of 69 and 52. The state average for the drinking water , only 35.8 per cent households have the drinking water facility in the premises. The districts of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram fared badly and they occupy bottom slots.
