Govt offensive against forest dwellers flayed

CPI (ML) New Democracy to launch a series of agitations beginning from June 5

Khammam: Intensifying its stir against the State Government for the resolve of Podu land issue, the CPI (ML) New Democracy will launch a series of agitations beginning from June 5. Disclosing this at a press conference on Sunday, party’s district secretary Potu Ranga Rao demanded that the government withdraw its offensive against the innocent forest-dwellers.

Referring to the State Formation Day celebration, he said that their party would support the Tribal communities’ call to observe June 2 as a ‘Betrayal Day’. Immediate implementation of three acres land each to Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes families, and revival of pending projects -- Dummugudem, Rudramkota, Sriram Sagar Stage II and Munneru among other issues the New Democracy is demanding.

Deploring the non-committal approach of the State government on Podu land issue, Rao said that they were forced to launch people’s movements to open the eyes of the rulers. A prelude meeting to the ‘Podu Porata Yatra’ would be held on June 5, Rao said, stating that eight teams of the party would tour the district extensively covering no less 1,000 villages from June 15. The fortnight-long Yatra would be concluded with a huge demonstration at the district Collectorate here on June 29, he said.

The TRS, which came to power with the call of ‘Jal, Jungle, Jameen’, had forgotten all its promises, he said, accusing the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of bowing his head to the conspiracy hatched by the BJP and the TDP in transferring Khammam’s seven mandals to Andhra Pradesh. Senior leaders Kechela Rangaiah, G Venkateswara Rao, Avula Venkateswarlu and G Ramaiah were present.