Agitators led by the Communist Party of India district unit laid siege to the electricity sub-stations in and around the city on Tuesday in protest against the government handling of power crisis. The protestors from all walks of life expressed dissatisfaction at the way the government was imposing power cuts on domestic as well as industrial users. The domestic power cuts were causing inconvenience to the members of the family, and the industrial power cut was resulting in large scale lay-offs and unemployment, CPI district executive council member Chalasani Raghavendra Rao said.
In the city, a band of over 50 protestors took out a procession from the statue of Tenneti Viswanatham at the Jagadamba Centre to the electricity sub-station near the APEPDCL head office. The agitators, including housewives, students and workers, were arrested and taken to the police station by the city police. They were let off later in the evening.
The Left party leader criticised the government for lack of vision in establishing power projects. The agitators raised slogans against the government for its failure to get the gas from the KG Basin for power generation units within the State.
Activists of the CPI district unit laid siege to sub-stations at Madhurawada, Malkapuram, Gajuwaka and Pendurthy around the city and in different sub-stations in the city. CPI city secretary M. Pydiraju, district secretary of AP Mahila Samakhya A. Vimala, AITUC state executive council members Easwar Rao, Padala Ramana, A Sattenanjaneyulu, and A.J. Stalin participated.
