Chalo Sangameswaram, Siddeswaram to be held on Feb 28

Tirupati: Various Rayalaseema Organisations which met here in the pilgrim city on Sunday decided to intensify the campaign for achieving the Sangameshwar-Siddeswaram barrage-cum-bridge construction across the Krishna river. Accordingly, the meeting decided to conduct a Chalo Sangameswar-Siddeswaram to mobilise the support of Rayalaseema people including MLAs, MPs, social activists, various parties to realise the construction of barrage-cum-bridge.

The speakers at the meeting in one voice demanded to convert the bridge being constructed across the Krishna river into a barrage-cum-bridge for the benefit of backward Rayalaseema. Barrage-cum-bridge will help improve water facilities for irrigation and also drinking water to the Seema district, they explained. Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samithi chairman Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy, who participated in the meeting, said that they will approach all the Seema MLAs, MPs, MLCs belonging to various parties and leaders to enlist their support for the demand.

To strengthen the demand, he said the meeting has called for 'Chalo Sangameswar-Siddeswaram,' which will be organised on February 28. The programme will culminate in a massive public meeting in which leaders from Rayalaseema participate to press the government to convert the bridge into barrage cum-bridge, Reddy said.

Reddy criticised the ruling YSRCP and the main opposition TDP for remaining silent on the vital bridge-cum-barrage issue and also in taking many other issues for Rayalaseema development and wanted at least now to join in the struggle for barrage-cum-bridge. He also took the occasion to find fault with the filmmakers belittling the Rayalaseema people and projecting them in bad light in films as

factionists and blood thirsty and violent. Rayalaseema Porata Samiti district convener Naveen Kumar Reddy said it is unfortunate that with no exception all the political parties including YSRCP, TDP, JSP, BJP and others not opposing the Centre allocating funds to Upper Bhadra project in Karnataka which will be a major threat to irrigation projects in Rayalaseema. As a build up to Chalo Sangameswar, various programmes will be held from this week, he said. Activists and leaders from various organisations including Ashok Vardhan Reddy, Ravi Krishna Naik and Ravikumar were present.