Maoists set deadline for resignations

Girijans in Visakha Agency area are forced to depend more on the private transport like the jeep in the picture after the APSRTC stopped bus service to the interior villages following the killing of Zilla Praja Parishad Vice-Chairman U. Somalingam in Chintapalli mandal on Monday night. Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam.

Maoists, who killed the Zilla Praja Parishad Vice-Chairman U. Somalingam on Monday night at his native village Choudupalli, stepped up pressure on people's representatives to support the anti-bauxite mining agitation, by setting a deadline for their resignations.

At a meeting organised by the party at Nimmapadu, a hamlet falling under Kudumulapalem Panchayat in Chintapalli mandal on Thursday night, the Maoists said MLAs, ZPTC and MPTC members, sarpanches and even Panchayat ward members must resign from their posts and from their respective political parties by May 20. Twenty women and around six men conducted the meeting while the women cadre spoke to the people.

Set on fire

Later, they destroyed the road-laying equipment near the village and severely beat up contractor Raju. A road-roller, an earth-moving equipment, water motors and a two-wheeler were set on fire. The warning by the Maoists had its effect. While eight MPTCs and MPPs and others resigned a day after Somalingam's murder, on Friday general secretary of DCC Karanam Venkata Rao, three MPTCs, including CPI's Jhansi of Chodupalli and five sarpanches quit their posts and respective parties.