CPI leaders to visit irrigation projects from February 8-14

PNS|Vijayawada

Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary and former MLA K Ramakrishna has said that his party is set to visit the irrigation projects in the State, starting from Uttarandhra to Rayalaseema districts, from February 8 to 14. After the YSRCP came to power, all the irrigation projects including Polavaram and Veligonda were stalled, he alleged.

Ramakrishna addressed media persons along with party secretariat member Akkineni Vanaja and Vijayawada city secretary G Koteswara Rao at the Dasari Bhavan on Thursday.

He said that due to non-funding from the Central government, the State government set aside the Polavaram project, which was a lifeline project for the State. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy neglected development of the State. Various irrigation projects such as Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanti, Veligonda and Polavaram are stalled, he alleged.

He said CPI leaders would visit all irrigation projects and learn about their status from February 8 to 14. “Party teams will visit the project sites and collect data,” he said.

He criticised Director General of Police (DGP) KV Rajendranath Reddy for not permitting the students and the youth to organise a ‘Bus Yatra’ demanding Special Category Status for the State and implementation of the Bifurcation Act. They had sought permission for the Bus Yatra 20 days ago, but the police denied the same in the name of G.O.No.1, he alleged.

Subsequently, they approached the High Court and got permission for conducting the Bus Yatra, he said. Earlier also, the police had denied him permission to organise a padayatra for the Kadapa Steel Plant. He, then, moved the court and obtained permission.

Further, he alleged that the State government and the police objected and denied permission to every programme organised by Opposition parties.

Ramakrishna said he would meet with all secular party leaders to plan future agitations to save democracy. “I have met TDP national president Nara Chandrababu Naidu and CPM State secretary V Srinivasa Rao. Also, we will meet other party leaders to chalk out the further course of agitations,” he added.

Later, he said that the State government was imposing additional burdens on the people in the name of electricity charges. A burden of Rs. 20,000 crore to Rs. 30,000 crore has been imposed so far, and the State government is going to impose another Rs.13,000 crore financial burden in the name of prepaid smart meters, he alleged.

He said that following the directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was implementing smart meters for household connections. “Adani has a smart meter production company in Gujarat, so the government is interested in installing smart meters in every house,” he alleged.