Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary P. Madhu on Monday announced State-wide protest from November 1 to 10 opposing the State government’s agreement with Reliance Retail and Future Group to convert fair- price shops under the Public Distribution System into ‘village malls’.
“The CPI(M) activists will register their protest in front of over 29,000 fair- price shops across the State which the State government wanted to convert into village malls in collaboration with Reliance Retail and Future Group by meeting 25% of establishment cost,” he told a media conference here. The Chief Minister was bent upon handing over in a platter a ₹3,000-crore business to the mega retail chains, he alleged.
Referring to corruption charges levelled by a TDP leader from Telangana against State Ministers Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and Paritala Sunita and also former MLA Payyavula Keshav before quitting the party, he said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu should come forward to order a comprehensive probe into the charges. The ruling TDP leaders were also involved in sand scam across the State and behind the irregularities in the corporate colleges where scores of students had been forced to commit suicide, he added.
Replying to a question on YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s padayatra, he said: “We will back it. For that matter, we will support any stir by other parties to highlight the people’s issues.” CPI(M) district secretary P. Anjaneyulu set a deadline of November 6 for the government to announce water release for the farmers to plan the type of crops for cultivation in rabi.
