President of the Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samithi Byreddy Rajasekhara Reddy and villagers of Patha Muchumarri, Kotha Muchumarri, Kotha Yellala, and Kotha Vanamulapadu along the banks of the Krishna in Pagidyala mandal in the district on Monday said that they would boycott the Krishna pushkarams in protest against non-sanction of funds for development of the ghats and sprucing up temples in the villages.
Black flags were tied to all electric poles, trees, houses, temples, mosques, and churches in the villages in protest against the government not allocating even a single rupee for renovation of 18 ancient temples, including the Sri Venugopala Swamy temple at Muchumarri.
Youths went round on motorcycles and children on bicycles carrying black flags.
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Mr. Reddy and the villagers sported black scarf and staged a protest in Muchumarri near the pylon unveiled by former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, former Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil, and former Chief Minister Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy relocating the families displaced by the Srisailam reservoir.
The government allocated Rs. 150 crore to the district for sprucing up temples and pushkaram woks, including Rs. 7 crore to Pagidyala mandal, but the four villages where Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy had a hold were not allocated even a rupee, it was alleged. Sri Venugopala Swamy temple, Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy temple, and Sri Chennakesava Swamy temple in Muchumarri, which the devotees visit before proceeding to the historic Sangameswaram temple, at the confluence of seven rivers, were not allocated any funds, Mr. Byreddy said. The plea for a culvert before Muchumarri, a 10-km road, and a bridge across the Bhavanasi was ignored, he added.