Left leaders stage dharna against increased bus fares
CPM and CPI leaders staging dharna against bus fare hike at RTC bus depot in Tirupati on Saturday.
Tirupati/Chittoor/Nellore: The Left party leaders staged a dharna at RTC bus depot here on Saturday demanding that the government reduce the hiked RTC bus fares immediately. CPI and CPM leaders conducted a protest rally from Ambedkar statue to RTC bus depot and staged dharna raising slogans against the government.
Speaking on the occasion, CPI state secretariat member P Harinatha Reddy said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has cheated the people of the state under Navaratnalu and put additional burden on the people in the name of diesel cess.
He demanded the government to bring down the hiked RTC fares otherwise the CM will surely face bitter experience in the coming general elections.
CPM district secretary Vandavasi Nagaraju, city secretary Subramanyam, leaders Jayachandra, Sai Lakshmi CPI leaders C Peanchalaiah, J Viswanath, Nadiya, Sriramulu, Ravi, Ramakrishna and Siva Kumar were present.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Naveen Kumar Reddy said it is unfair increasing RTC bus fares two times in just 75 days under the pretext of diesel cess.
Citing RTC bus fare to Tirumala from Tirupati increased to Rs 160 (to and fro) from Rs 135, he said ironically that the CM did not even leave the devotees of Tirumala Venkanna. In Chittoor, protesting the abnormal hike in fares of RTC, the Left party leaders staged a dharna before RTC Bus station on Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, District CPI secretary A Rama Naidu slammed the Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for failing to keep up his promises and resorting to test the patience of poor and deprived sections. He said Jagan categorically assured that he would never hike the fares of RTC at any cost.
However, against his promise, the CM hiked fares four times in the last three years, he stated. He cautioned that the left parties would exert pressure on government until it revokes its decision. Later, they submitted a representation to Jithendra Reddy, District Public Transport Officer, APSRTC, for due action.
In Nellore, TDP leaders staged a protest at the Bus Stand here on Saturday against hike in RTC fares in the state. Addressing the protesters, party city president Dharmavaram Subba Rao said that RTC fares have been increased several times in the YSR Congress rule and it is unbearable for rural population with enhancement of 65 percent fares on Pallevelugu services. Though the state was claiming that they were farmers friendly, he asked why they increased fares of rural bus services. He also asked why the ministers and legislators were keeping mum even though people going to bear severe financial burden on them.
Party leader Jaladanki Sudhakar said poor people were facing troubles due to hike in essential commodities. Legislators who are visiting households as part of Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam never represented feelings of the poor to the chief minister.