Backward areas in T, AP send more jawans than other dists

Hyderabad: It has emerged that drought-prone and underdeveloped districts of Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh send more jawans to the country than other districts. Of 1,301 soldiers recruited in 2019 from both Telugu states, one-fourth of them belong to Srikakulam, one of the poorest districts in north coastal AP, followed by Prakasam.

In Telangana, drought-hit Mahbubnagar (also known as Palamur), which witnesses a huge migration of labour as an annual event, also contributes big in sending soldiers followed by Nirmal and Adilabad districts, which are backward. In 2018-19, one hundred youngsters from Mahbubnagar alone were selected out of 695 recruits from the state.

Srikakulam has villages where every household has a man from the military and this trend has continued in the past three years — 256 in 2018-19, 328 in 2017-18 and 313 in 2016-17. Prakasam contributed 202 and Visakhapatnam (consisting of a vast tribal Agency area) 110 and Vizianagaram 110 in 2018-19.

A senior ranking army official attributes the high volumes of recruits from Srikakulam to unemployment. “Prakasam in AP has traditionally been contributing more number of jawans. Mahbubnagar sends soldiers as there is no work for labourers due to drought,” he told TOI. He said recruitment rallies are conducted in Karimnagar, Warangal and Kothagudem, but Mahabubnagar has always returned more jawans.

Retired Lieutenant General Kammula Ramachandra Rao, who was involved in the recruitment, said some district administrations have failed in motivating youth to join army. “Vacancies are notified based on recruitable male population factor, projected retirement and additional recruitment. More youngsters from Srikakulam and Mahbubnagar turn out because of high unemployment,” he told TOI. Rao said Madhavaram village in West Godavari bucks this trend. “It is now known as ‘Military Madhavaram’ where each household has a jawan. This is due to local panchayat motivating the villagers to join the army,” he said.

Minister of state for defence Shripad Naik, in reply to question by Chevella MP G Ranjith Reddy of TRS, said on Wednesday that four recruitment camps have been held in AP and Telangana this year. Hyderabad, Sangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Bhuvanagiri-Yadadri, Khammam, Suryapet and Rajanna-Sircilla, which score high on employment index, also contribute least to the army. Nalgonda and Medak also fare badly.