The Hindu : It's more a political caravan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 12, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

It's more a political caravan

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD April 11. Politicians and cronies. Well, they cuddle up well even if it is a dirty puddle. The labyrinthian lanes of a cluster of slums adjacent to the Begumpet airport in Rasoolpura witnessed the Tourism Minister, T. Srinivas Yadav, the Secunderabad Cantonment MLA, G. Sayanna, walking hand in hand with their cronies, and past overflowing sewage and dirt and squalour.

``Whose house is this? It has jutted on to the main road. Isn't this illegal,'' the Minister asked a man in white in mock humour, his hands positioned around the man's shoulder. The overwhelmed man could only blush. He turned out to be an old associate of the Minister.

Well, that summed up the mood of the Minister's visit of various places in Secunderabad to ascertain for himself the water supply position. Wherever he went, there were his cronies and supporters awaiting his arrival. It appeared more a political caravan than a fact-finding mission about drinking water. Men in white and khadi ready with a litany of complaints against the authorities stood in the vanguard, while the few water board officials were literally relegated to the back by the large number of local leaders.

``Look, there are so many people walking this way,'' a young boy told his mother who looked out of the shanty amused. "Well, here are our netas. They are here to give us water,'' a woman desperately trying to scoop out water from a public water post sneered. Even as his supporters tried to pacify her, she burst out again, "We pay 25 paise for a pot of water here. Will you pay for our water.'' Her voice got drowned in the melee as the Minister and his men walked past her.

Overflowing sewage and an open nala saw Mr. Yadav passing the buck. He launched a diatribe against the officials. "These are minor works. But, your focus is always on big colonies. You never look at poor people,'' he charged. The cluster of slums located right next to the airport come under the Secunderabad Cantonment Board jurisdiction and development works were hampered for long with the airport expansion plans coming in the way. With the new airport coming up at Shamshabad, "we are now focussing on the area,'' the Cantonment MLA, G. Sayanna said.

Saying the huge sprawl was in a bad shape, Mr. Srinivas Yadav wanted the local legislator to prepare an action plan for the area, particularly for the open nalas flowing through the place.

In a reference to opposition from a section of people there, apparently Congress sympathisers - the area is called Indirammanagar - he came down heavily on some locals, saying anyone who hindered development would not be spared. "If need be, we will get them arrested and go ahead,'' he stated.

His point made, Mr. Yadav walked away triumphantly.

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