Chaos at Kadapa DRC meeting

• 8 activists injured in police lathi-charge
• Media agitate for not allowing them into the meeting hall

Kadapa: Chaos and anarchy prevailed during the Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting at Kadapa on Tuesday. Over eight people were injured in the incident. Activists of Left parties agitating against increase in power charges, power cuts, drought compensation and other issues laid siege to the Zilla Parishat meeting hall and tried to barge inside. This led to a scuffle between CPI activists and police who at last resorted to lathi-charge. Several women were injured and others fell unconscious. Police lathi-charged CPM activists also who tried to barge into the meeting hall. Women and other activists were injured in this incident. Ministers DL Ravindra Reddy and Ramachandraiah came out of the meeting hall and assured the agitators of discussing about compensation to drought-hit areas and increase in power charges with the government. They also assured of discussing house lands issue with the District Collector. They expressed concern over the police lathi-charge. Later, the meeting, which has been postponed for four times earlier, continued in which illegal sand transport, employment guarantee works and drinking water problems were mainly discussed. Minister Mahidhar Reddy enquired on the steps taken by the officials to restrain sand mafia and directed them to stop sand and red sanders smuggling at any cost. Responding to the allegations of MLC Satish Reddy and MLA Linga Reddy of opposition parties, Minister DL Ravindra Reddy retorted that Telugu Desam Party is boasting of regular power supply during its tenure but it consumed all the water in the projects and turned fertile lands into waste lands. Ministers DL and Mahidhar assured to discuss the issue of providing a permanent solution to the release water from HLC to the district at a meeting with Chief Minister. Media also resorted to an agitation when they were denied permission into the meeting hall. As their discussions with District Collector and other Ministers before the commencement of meeting failed, media raised slogans against district in-charge Minister, Mahidhar Reddy. Criticising Mahidhar Reddy for not allowing media into the meeting hall, TDP MLA Satish Reddy, Proddatur MLA Lingareddy warned of boycotting the hall. District Collector Kona Sashidhar discussed the problem with the Minister and thereafter allowed the media.