Activists of the Communist Party of India staged a massive dharna and rasta roko on the busy Rajiv Rahadhari at Kothapalli village of Thimmapur mandal on Tuesday afternoon.
The protestors wanted the government to execute the proposed Thotapalli reservoir in Chigurumamidi mandal of Husnabad Assembly segment as part of the SRSP flood flow canal project. It may be recalled that the State Government had announced abandoning of Thotapalli reservoir stating that the project cost has escalated and that it is not feasible.
Irked over the government’s move, the CPI activists have launched several agitational programmes.
Accordingly, on Tuesday afternoon, they sprang a surprise by staging a ‘rasta roko’ on the busy road along with the land oustees of the project. Traffic came to a grinding halt for over two hours on the busy road.
The police had a tough time in evicting the protestors and the CPI activists. The protestors called off their stir following an assurance given by the revenue authorities that they would inform the government of the issue. Later, the police regulated the traffic on the road.
Speaking on the occasion, party district secretary K. Ramgopal Reddy said that reservoir was proposed under the SRSP flood flow canal to provide irrigation sources through gravity to the upland six mandals of the Husnabad region. Ridiculing the government’s claim that they would provide water through lift irrigation scheme, he said that the lift schemes are meant only to swindle public money.
Reiterating that they would continue their agitations till the execution of the proposed Thotapalli reservoir, he also opposed the government’s move to hand over the lands acquired for the project to the industrialists.
CPI leaders K. Kedari, B. Ashok, P. Raju, Mallesh, K. Shoba, and others were also present.
Protestors want government to execute the proposed Thotapalli reservoir in Chigurumamidi mandal of Husnabad Assembly segment as part of the SRSP flood flow canal project
