Union Budget effigy burnt

Eluru: Activists of the CPM burnt an effigy of the Union Budget at RR Pet Park Centre here on Friday, in protest against the discrimination of the Andhra Pradesh in the budget. The workers of the CPM took out a rally protesting against the Centre’s partiality against the residuary Andhra Pradesh which was in a deficit budget.  They reached the RR Pet Park Centre and burnt the effigy.

Addressing the rally, the CPM district Committee member, Gudipati Narasimha Rao criticised that the Centre had done injustice to Andhra Pradesh while preparing the budget. Over the four years, the Modi-led BJP had assured the Andhra Pradesh that divided from Telangana to allot special package amounts. However, so far no allotments were made to the State in the four budgets. This time too, the Centre completely ignored Andhra Pradesh, he alleged.

The BJP –TDP alliance had diverted the issue of Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh and assured the special package, he pointed out.  He criticised that even the national project, Polavaram did not attract the attention of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and no allotment was made in the budget allocations. He called upon the people to agitate against the anti-people policies and anti-State budget of TDP-BJP alliance at the Centre.

The activists of the CPM had raised slogans demanding that the Centre give SCS to Andhra and setting up of separate railway zone at Visakhapatnam. They also wanted construction of steel factory at Kadapa. CPM city secretary Pallem Kishore, leaders B Jagannadham, A John Babu, Satyanarayana and others led the agitation.