Half Hyd still a slum, says Kodandaram

Suryapet (Nalgonda): In spite of the tall claims of developing Hyderabad at international standards, half the city is still in slums, said Prof Kodandaram, T JAC chairman here on Sunday. He as addressing ‘Charcha Vedika’ organised by Jana Chaitanya Vedika with the leaders of three regions of the State here.

R Vidyasagar Rao, retired member of Jala Vanarula Sangham, M V Ramana Reddy, president of Rayalaseema joint action committee, Palnati Sreeramulu, convener of Bahujanandhra joint action committee, Katra Prasoona, convener of Hyderabad Settlers Forum and Dr Bhuman, president of Rayalaseema Study Forum attended the meeting. Prof Kodandaram said that instead of the balanced development of all the three regions, there has been concentration on Hyderabad.

R Vidyasagar Rao said that Bachawat Tribunal had allotted 277.86 tmc of water to Telangana and nobody could reduce it at any cost. Dr MV Ramana Reddy said that it would be always better to maintain distance between people to have better relations. Telangana landlords lorded over the poor in Telangana whereas Coastal Andhra people have been dominating Rayalaseema people for decades, he lamented.

Palnati Sreeramulu said that it was imperative to form Telangana state in the large interest of the downtrodden people. “Only people belonging to Kamma and Reddy have been agitating in Seemandhra for the united state,” he said. The downtrodden would wield power only in small states, he asserted. Katragadda Prasoona said that there had not been any attacks on the people settled in Hyderabad in the last ten years. However, there should be some enactments to protect Coastal people in the city, she added. Dr Bhuman said that it would be very important to conduct such open forums. He announced that another open forum would be held at Tirupati on September 8.