Member of Legislative Council Yandapalli Srinivasulu Reddy undertook a hunger strike at MCT junction here on Friday demanding steps to retain the NTPC-BHEL Power Projects Limited (NBPPL) plant at Mannavaram near here.
Under the banner of 'Mannavaram Sadhana Samithi' and in association with Left parties, the MLC staged a dharna and accused the central government of making moves to shift the Mannavaram project out of Andhra Pradesh. “Without sanctioning funds for the project, the government is giving lame excuses on the lack of demand for the products meant to be produced here,” he alleged and added that there was no response to a representation given to the Prime Minister in this regard.
Amid conflicting reports about the fate of the project, MLC Vitapu Balasubramanyam demanded clarity from Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who he alleged had been evading a clear answer.
Former MP Chinta Mohan accused the Centre of deliberately sidelining the project brought by the Congress regime, while Rayalaseema Abhivruddhi Vedika convener M. Geyanand alleged discrimination against Mannavaram and Kadapa steel plants. District secretaries K. Kumar Reddy, CPI(M) and A. Rama Naidu, CPI, CITU general secretary Kandarapu Murali, Federation of Farmers Associations ‘president Mangati Gopal Reddy and Rayalaseema Porata Samiti convener P. Naveenkumar Reddy expressed support to the cause.
