The Hindu : TRS demands unconditional release of Kollapur MLA

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 14, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

TRS demands unconditional release of Kollapur MLA

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Feb. 13. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has demanded the unconditional release of the Congress MLA of Kollapur, J. Krishna Rao, and said that his arrest exposed the `goondaism' of the TDP Government on MLAs.

Asking the TDP MPs and MLAs to revolt against the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, the TRS president, K. Chandrasekhara Rao, demanded an unconditional apology from Mr. Naidu for the misdemeanour in arresting the MLA.

Mr. Rao told newsmen here on Thursday that the Government had adopted double standards while arresting Mr. Rao and sparing the TDP MLA of Panyam, B. Parthasarathi Reddy. Mr. Reddy was involved in a similar case of obstructing a Transco Assistant Engineer but was allowed to go scot-free, whereas Mr. Rao was arrested. The TRS chief justified the outburst of Mr. Rao on the Transco official and said the MLAs had the responsibility to take up the issue of forcible collection of power dues from farmers with Transco officials in tune with the Government policy to come to the aid of farmers due to adverse seasonal conditions. The officials behaved highhandedly by seizing the agricultural implements of farmers or disconnecting the pumpsets. A farmer of Jammikunta in Karimnagar district, Bhikshapati, committed suicide recently unable to clear the dues.

Mr. Rao demanded the Chief Minister to issue instructions to Transco officials not to collect the dues forcibly. He also appealed to the ryots to gherao Ministers and MLAs if there were any instances of forcible collection.

Referring to the continued closure of 53 toddy shops in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts despite a Division Bench of the High Court ordering the reopening of all shops which had been closed down by the Government, Mr. Rao alleged that the Government did not initiate steps to open the shops as it was pampering the IMFL industry at the cost of the toddy business. A large population of toddy tappers who had been allotted four-and-a-half lakh trees in six Telangana districts were affected by the closure of the shops.

Mr. Rao also said that the Government was hand-in-glove with IMFL companies to promote the sale of their liquor. The Government undermined the existence of toddy shops by hiking their rentals by 45 per cent. The tax per tree was a high Rs. 530 in Hyderabad, against Rs. 11 in Nalgonda.

The party will launch a movement against the Government designs to promote the sale of IMFL, Mr. Rao said.

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