Dissent ruled the roost at Dharna Chowk on Tuesday as different sections of people raised slogans against the state government demanding solutions for issues and steps for the development of Andhra Pradesh.
Amid a battery of Opposition leaders, Andhra Pradesh Pratyeka Hoda Sadhana Samiti convener Chalasani Srinivas, university professors, lecturers, women leaders and students kick-started the 96-hour fast, demanding that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu initiate division of assets as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014.
CPI State secretary P. Ramakrishna said that despite the indifferent treatment by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government for three years, A.P. Chief Minister was aiming to strengthen the alliance.
“Former prime minister Manmohan Singh categorically said that A.P. will be accorded special status for five years and but both Chandrababu Naidu and Modi had cheated the people of Andhra Pradesh by keeping the issue in abeyance.”
‘Pittance for regions’
He said that when the bifurcation bill clearly mentioned a package to Rayalaseema and North Andhra regions as per the Bundelkhand model, the Central Government earmarked a meagre ₹50 crore for both regions every year. “We asked for ₹24,000 crore for seven districts but we got just a pittance,” he pointed out.
The Left leader said that even though the Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu got elected to the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh, the much-promised railway zone to Visakhapatnam was not achieved.
It was time for the government to react on issues such as assets’ division, steel plant for Kadapa, power and employment generation.
He said it was unfortunate the three-day mahanadu did not discuss the drought conditions and migration in the State and only concentrated on ‘blowing its own trumpet”.
