The agitation launched against the thermal power project at Sompeta in the district will be continued till the State government withdrew GO No. 1107, according to Communist Party of India State secretary K. Narayana. He was at Barua to participate in a public meeting organised in connection with the completion of 500 days of the relay hunger strike against the power project on Monday.
Speaking to the media, he said that a foundation stone was laid for construction of a memorial for those who had lost their lives in the agitation against the thermal power plant. He warned that the agitation would be continued till the government withdrew the GO and returned the lands acquired from the farmers. He criticised the government for ignoring the agitation for the last 500 days. He said that attempts to convert the wetlands into a ‘desert' would not be tolerated.
Mr. Narayana alleged the people's representatives were evincing keen interest in handing over thermal power projects to private players instead of APGENCO. Similarly, the private players were exploring gas and coal reserves in AP and selling them to the State at high rates. He felt that efforts should be made to promote renewable energy sources that do not cause environmental pollution.
Pact with USA
He said it was unfortunate that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had reached an agreement with the USA for purchase of nuclear reactors at a cost of Rs.8.5 lakh crores even after seeing the colossal loss suffered by Japan after the blasts of nuclear reactors.
