Amaravati farmers yatra to reach Alipiri today

Tirupati: Amaravati farmers' Maha Padayatra has been proceeding as per their schedule and entered Tirupati on Monday which is their last leg of the journey that commenced in Amaravati and passed through four districts covering 500 km. It will conclude at Alipiri on Tuesday while uncertainty continues on their Tirumala visit. The padayatra entered the district from Nellore district on December 7 and reached Y-convention in Renigunta on Sunday evening.

After overnight stay, the padayatra was resumed on Monday and proceeded towards Tirupati via Renigunta road, Tiruchanur station and reached Ramanaidu Kalyana mandapam at Tanapalli cross road where they will stay for the night. Leaders of TDP, BJP, CPI, CPM and Congress extended a grand welcome to the farmers as they entered Tirupati.

TDP leaders, including Guntur MP Galla Jayadev, former MP Konakalla Narayana, former Minister Kollu Ravindra, other leaders, including M Suguna, G Narasimha Yadav, BJP leaders, G Bhanu Prakash Reddy, Durga Ramakrishna, Kola Anand, CPI district secretary Rama Naidu, CPM leader Kumar Reddy, Congress leaders Mangati Gopala Reddy, P Naveen Kumar Reddy, Sunkara Padma and others took part in the padayatra and expressed their total support to the farmers.

En route, the farmers stopped at Tiruchanur station where they had their lunch. On Tuesday, the padayatra will be held in Tirupati city via Srinivasa Kalyana mandapam, Bairagipatteda park, Annamayya circle, MR Palli circle, NTR circle, Parasala street, Chinna Bazar street, Gandhi road, Municipal office, Bhavani Nagar, Chenna Reddy Colony and will reach Alipiri.

As part of their 'Nyayasthanam to Devasthanam' (from Court to Temple) padayatra, Amaravati Parirakshana Samiti has intended to reach Tirumala to worship Lord Venkateswara. However, their Tirumala visit is still in a dilemma as TTD has not allotted darshan tickets for the farmers.

The organisers have asked for about 500 tickets but the TTD has reportedly turned down their request as there was no practice of allotting darshan tickets on such requests. In view of the Covid restrictions which are still in force, TTD is not allowing anyone to Tirumala unless they had darshan tickets.

Meanwhile, uncertainty still surrounds the proposed public meeting of Amaravati Parirakshana Samiti scheduled to be held on December 17 as their request was rejected by the police. The farmers have moved the AP High Court seeking directions on holding the public meeting and their plea may come for hearing on Tuesday.