CPM dares TRS leaders for open debate

Khammam: Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) leader Yerra Srikanth condemned the comments made by the ruling party corporators against the CPM leaders on the development of Khammam Municipal Corporation (KMC) and challenged them to come for an open discussion here in Khammam on Tuesday.

Speaking to media persons, Srikanth said CPM leaders only demanded redressal of several problems pertaining to the KMC. They had pointed out that confining development activities only to the localities which had special interests of Minister, MLA and MP could not be called total development of Khammam, he said, adding that there must be all-round development in the entire municipality, including all 50 divisions along with merged villages under the KMC.

“The ruling party leaders are concentrating on development of localities where their business establishments are present and claiming that they are developing the entire municipality. That is nothing but deceiving people. They have not even paid the bills to contractors for the past eight months because of which the contractors decided to agitate against the civic body officials,” he said.

The government invested about Rs 26 crore for the restoration of Lakaram lake and development of a tank bund and organised a 5K Run but the very next day, a newly-laid road was totally damaged making it difficult to walk. Was this the development that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government boasting of, he questioned.

The CPM, during its reign, ruled with transparency and addressed several civic issues. But the ruling TRS corporators were swindling funds and nobody was talking about it, he said. Ironically, they were alleging that the Opposition party leaders were creating obstacles in development activities, he added.

If the TRS was committed for the development, then why it was not shifting the dumping yard which was creating a lot of problems to the people living in surrounding areas, he questioned and asked what happened to the promise of beautification of Gollapadu channel. “Why the construction works of under-bridges at Mammilagudem and Sarathinagar are pending?” he asked.

There was no progress and development in any division under KMC during the TRS rule and people were suffering from lack of basic facilities like sanitation, drinking water and proper road facilities. Increasing pollution was causing severe health problems to the residents, he said.

He challenged the TRS leaders to participate in an open discussion about the development they did under KMC limits and warned them not to deceive people with hollow promises. CPM leaders Y Vikram and Jabbar, urban party secretary Meera and Raghunathapalem mandal secretary Naveen Reddy were also present.