Left, Cong protest over SCS

Eluru: Activists from various parties and people’s associations started a relay hunger strike camp at Potti Sriramulu statue at Vasanta Mahal Centre here on Friday, demanding that the Centre accord Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh.

In response to a call given by Pratyeka Hoda- Vibhajana Hameela Sadhana Samiti, the CPI, the CPM, the CPI (ML) New Democracy, the MCPI and the Congress activists and leaders reached Vasanta Mahal Centre and garlanded the statue of Potti Sriramulu.  

The CPM State Secretariat Member, Mantena Sitaram, CPM Upland Committee Secretary Chintakayaala Babu Rao, CPI District Secretary Dega Prabhakar, CPI State Control Committee Chairman Nekkanti Subba Rao, New Democracy District Spokesman U Venkateswara Rao, MCPI District Secretary S Nagaraju, the Congress City committee President, Rajanala Ramamohan Rao started the relay hunger strike.

Speaking on the occasion, the party leaders alleged that the BJP and TDP had betrayed the Andhra Pradesh People after coming to power. They criticised that the TDP had claimed that package was better than special status. They expressed concern over the non-release of funds even under the special package as claimed by the TDP Government.

The participants demanded that the Centre accord SCS to the State and set up the Visakhapatnam Railway Zone and Kadapa Steel Factory. They also wanted release of funds for the backward areas in north Andhra and Rayalaseema. The Centre should sanction the Central educational institutions and allot funds as those were mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act.  They asked the Centre to take up the Polavaram National Project from the State and complete it after settling the displaced people’s problems.  

Leaders P Kishore, Gudipati Narasimha Rao, B Somaiah (CPM), P Kannababu, Bandi Venkateswara Rao (CPI), K Krishnacharyulu (AITUC), Mavuri Srinivasa Rao (CITU), Chintada Venkatalakshmi, J Hareesh Durga (AIDWA), Sarojini (Mahila Congress),  G Siva Kumar (DYFI), P Ramakrishna (KVPS), SN Ramesh (JVV)  and others participated in the relay hunger strike.