People want development, leaders spar over politics

Ongole: The people and politicians exhibited a clear division between them in the Dasa Disa programme organised by the HMTV and The Hans India at Ongole on Sunday. The people from various sections including students and representatives of public organisations demanded the politicians why they are not working for the development of district, while they quarrel with other leaders from the parties.

HMTV ace anchor Rani Rudrama started the Dasa Disa with the topic of Special Category Status (SCS) to the state. The leaders from TDP including Divi Sivaram, T Aruna and Padmaja tried to establish that the state government is leaving no stone unturned to get funds for development activities in the state.

They claimed that the TDP is associated with BJP to get maximum funds and SCS to the state but said good bye to it once they realised that they are cheating Andhra people. The YSRCP leaders including Battula Brahmananda Reddy and Damaraju Kranti Kumar countered them that if the TDP joined YSRCP in the protests and resignations of MPs, SCS would have achieved very long back.

The people from galleries including students Rajeev Shine, Rukmini silenced the leaders why didn’t leaders from all parties went on hunger strike for the benefit of state, like Potti Sriramulu did once?  The discussion went on to the reasons for backwardness of Prakasam district and development options including provision of water for drinking and irrigation needs.

Pentyala Hanumantha Rao from Tenant Farmers Association, former MLA Mukku Ugra Narasimha Reddy, Billa Chennaiah from Dalit organisations presented that the Prakasam district which has coastal line of about 120 kilometers, gives more than Rs 25,000 crores per year income to Central government on tobacco and almost the same amount on exports of granite is still facing hardships for development.

Due to non-availability of safe drinking water, 423 people died in the last four years with fluorosis and kidney diseases and 284 farmers committed suicide due to losses and non-repayment of loans as there is no irrigation water. They demanded that the government should show commitment in completing the irrigation-cum-drinking water projects like Veligonda, Gundlakamma, Sangameswara, Rallapadu and provide water to save the lives of people and farmers.

The speakers from public also extended support to leaders and asked them to come with a solution to age-old problems. For the development of district, Prakasam District Development Forum president Chunduri Rangarao, CPI leader Prakasa Rao and Jana Sena representative Kandukur Babu said apart from the completion of water projects, the government should take concrete steps for utilisation of resources and utilise the revenue from them for the district development.

They said that if the government spends just one-year revenue from the district, all projects can be completed in a year. They demanded that the government bring industries for National Investment and Manufacturing Zone announced at Kanigiri and industrial corridor at Donakonda.

Student leader Rayapati Jagadeesh said the government failed to establish a university in the district though it has 120 acres of land allocated decades ago. The students asked why the government failed set up government junior and degree colleges in the district despite knowing the fact that the students from the district going to Guntur, Krishna or Nellore districts for education. The public wanted the government to answer why it is showing partiality towards the district.

When the BJP representative Marturi Harikrishna tried to convince the people that Modi has special concern over AP and the Central government is funding many schemes, the politicians from all parties and public didn’t allow him. They demanded him to speak only after the BJP announce SCS to the state.