At 75, Srikakulam aims to take the big leap to turn challenges into opportunities
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Visakhapatnam: Srikakulam will celebrate its 75th anniversary on Aug 15, marking its official formation on the same date in 1950, when it was carved out of Visakhapatnam district.
Historically, the region was part of the Northern Circars, the first territories to come under British control in 1765 through a 'farman' issued by the Mughal emperor and later ratified by the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1768. Guntur, however, came under British control later, in 1788.
The Northern Circars roughly comprised the combined districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, and Guntur.
In 1802, these Circars were divided into five districts — Ganjam, Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam), and Guntur. The Chicacole (Srikakulam) area, originally part of Visakhapatnam district, was included in Ganjam when it was formed.
However, when Orissa (now Odisha) was created in 1936, Ganjam was transferred to Orissa, and Chicacole division was remerged with Visakhapatnam district.
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This laid the groundwork for its eventual bifurcation in 1950, leading to the formation of Srikakulam as a separate district.
Even 75 years after its formation, Srikakulam, one of the least developed districts in Andhra Pradesh, continues to lag behind on key socio-economic indicators. According to the 2011 census, the literacy rate in Srikakulam stood at 61.7%, below the state average of over 67%. Similarly, urbanisation has driven economic growth across the state, with urban population rising from 24.13% in 2001 to 29.47% in 2011.
Visakhapatnam leads with 47.45% urban residents, followed by Krishna at 40.81%, while Srikakulam (16.16%) remain the least urbanised district.
Before the bifurcation of the erstwhile 13 combined districts into 26, Srikakulam's per capita income stood at Rs 1.45 lakh, ranking 12th among those 13 districts and significantly below the state average of Rs 1.92 lakh. The district also faces a health crisis, with high rates of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) affecting thousands in the Uddanam region.
Another example is that Visakhapatnam district contributed approximately Rs 1.19 lakh crore, or 9.15% of Andhra Pradesh's total gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022-23, securing the top position among all districts. In contrast, Srikakulam ranked 20th among the 26 districts. The district's lack of diversification into non-agricultural sectors, particularly services and manufacturing and under-industrialisation exacerbate its economic stagnation.
Srikakulam contributes a mere 2.2% to the state's industrial gross value added, and its share in the services sector remains negligible at just 3%.
The three-day celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of Srikakulam started on Aug 13 across the district. Srikakulam collector Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar said he has invited industrialists to invest in the region, assuring full support, including land allocation through APIIC and access to govt buildings.
"With our 193-kilometre coastline and upcoming infrastructure projects such as the Bhogapuram airport and the six-lane corridor, the district offers ample opportunities for industrial development.
I urge entrepreneurs to utilise govt schemes and focus on value-added products like cashew, mango, jackfruit, and aquaculture. Both govt and private lands will be made available as required to foster employment and growth," said Pundkar.
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