Vijayawada: CPM state secretary V Srinivasa Rao said the party will stage protests near the offices of the state government from March 22 to 28 demanding that the government address people’s problems. Along with the CPM state leaders Chigurupati Baburao and K Prabhakar Reddy, he spoke to the media at the Balotsavam Bhavan here on Sunday. He said the CPM cadre will conduct the Praja Chaitanya Yatras from March 8 to 17 to mark the International Women’s Day to be observed on March 8 and will identify people’s problems.

Referring to the state budget, Srinivasa Rao said the government has not mentioned about the assurance given to the women on free travel in the RTC buses in the state. He said free travel in buses is one of the super six promises. He said the government had assured stipend of Rs 1500 to unemployed youth and financial assistance of Rs 1500 to women also not mentioned in the state budget. He said only Rs 309 crore were allotted to Veligonda project and Rs 6000 crore for Polavaram.

The CPM leaders said that the Central government announced Rs 12,000 crore to AP for Polavaram but only Rs 6,000 crore are earmarked in the state budget. He said the AP government has no courage to scrap the AP government’s agreement with Adani group on installation of power meters. He said even a small country like Sri Lanka also cancelled its agreement with Adani group on power projects. He alleged the state government had burdened the people with a hike in power tariff and failed to provide support price to the farmers. He said the farmers are worried due to low MSP and not getting remunerative prices to the output. He alleged the government has allotted a meagre amount of Rs 300 crore as price stabilisation fund in the state budget.

Srinivasa Rao has alleged the NDA coalition government is trying to reduce the social security pensions to the beneficiaries and no concessions were given to the poor and middle class people. He has appealed to the CPM cadre to take part in Praja Chaitanya Yatras from March 8 to 17 and later in the protests and dharnas near the government offices from March 22 to 28 demanding the government to solve people’s problems.