Tirupati: CPM flays govt attitude towards TTD forest workers

Tirupati: CPM state secretariat member and former MLC M V S Sarma criticised the TTD management for remaining silent on the regularisation of forest workers, who have been on relay hunger strike for 321 days.

Addressing a gathering of forest workers who were on relay hunger strike at Forest Divisional Office located on Hare Krishna Road in Tirupati on Monday, he said that the Chief Minister has miserably failed to honour his promises made to the people and also the contract workers in the TTD. Before the election, Jagan, the opposition leader, during his Padayatra in Tirupati assured to regularise the forest workers but though two years passed it was not implemented, he pointed out.

He demanded the TTD management to solve the long-pending forest workers issue immediately.

Turning his guns towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he lambasted that the BJP government at the Centre for hatching conspiracy to make the workers as slaves by amending labour laws

and he called upon working sections to protest against Modi's anti-labour policies in the country.

CPM leaders Jayachandra, TTD Forest Workers Union president Suresh, secretary Eswar Reddy and others were present.

Meanwhile, police detained several CPM leaders including Kandarapu Murali and R Lakshmi at their houses on Monday preventing them from obstructing Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's convoy on forest workers issue who have been on relay hunger strike for nearly a year demanding TTD and state government to regularise their services.

Speaking to media at his residence, Kandarapu Murali slammed the police for making house arrests though they requested the Collector and Urban SP on Sunday seeking permission to meet the CM on Monday during his visit to Tirupati and Tirumala.

Kandarapu Murali demanded the Chief Minister to give clarity on whether he will fulfill his promise made during the Padayatra.

He threatened the government as well as TTD to intensify their stir if the regularisation of forest workers will not be fulfilled.