On a second cycle yatra for Special Category Status

Tirupati: The cycle yatra of a 33-year-old man on an old model Hero cycle to Delhi has a mission. He wants to bring awareness among people about the importance of Special Category Status (SCS). Interestingly, this was his second such Yatra. Kolla Venkat of Mentepudi village of Veeravasaram mandal in West Godavari district had completed cycle yatra with the same purpose in April 2016. 

After bifurcation of the state, he thought that everyone in the state were aware of the benefits of SCS. At that time, he held the yatra from Bhimavaram to Delhi. In 2018, he was repeating the same with a change of place.

He chose Alipiri, the holy feet of Lord Venkateswara from where he embarked his yatra by taking the blessings of the God at Alipiri padala mandapam and expecting to reach Delhi around March 10. “By that time, the Parliament sessions will be going on and I thought it would be appropriate to reach there by then,” he told The Hans India. 

Venkat planned to cover 120 km or more every day during the course of his yatra and wants to travel from 4 am to 8 pm. With minimum belongings, he started his mission but not without different slogans like “SCS is AP people’s right and BJP’s responsibility is to fulfil it,” He fixed such placards to his cycle and began his journey. 

“Last time, when I took up the yatra, friends and family members extended their full support to my cause and expecting the same from them along with people of the state. I am doing my part for a bigger cause,” he maintained. 

By V Pradeep Kumar