Signature campaign begins

Vijayawada: Leaders of Congress and Left parties under the banner of Swarjaya Maidan Parirakshana Committee launched a signature campaign at Lenin Centre here on Sunday, against the government’s attempt to shift the Ryhtu Bazaar from Swarajya Maidan and transform the place into a park.

Speaking on the occasion, City Congress president Malladi Vishnu said that from many decades Swarajya Maidan was the centre for political, literary and cultural activities. It also used as playground for the youth. He wondered why the State Government was keen on developing a park at Swarajya Maidan instead of focussing on developing 126 parks under VMC, which were in a bad shape.

Already denizens were feeling hard with lack of adequate open space and also for children to play and elders to walk around. He demanded that State Government roll back its proposal of converting the ground into park as there would be hardly any open space left for industrial exhibitions.

Vishnu threatened a series of agitations against the government, if it failed to roll back its move in the interest of common man. A rally would be taken on Monday from Lenin Centre to Swarajya Maidan opposing the attempt of the State Government to shift Rythu Bazaar, he said.

Meanwhile, K Nagamani, a private employee who participated in the signature campaign said, “We prefer to purchase vegetables at PWD Grounds market because of its proximity to different places. It’s like a mini super bazaar for us. But this exercise may not be possible at the place where government proposed to convert into park.

We request the government to withdraw its proposal of shifting the market along with other establishments from the ground to develop it into a park. CPI city secretary Donepudi Shankar, CPM city secretary Donepudi Kasinath, CPI (ML) New Democracy leader K Polari and other leaders took part in the signature campaign.