Balija, Goud leaders decry neglect

Kakinada: Leaders of Shetty Balija and Goud communities expressed anxiety that the major political parties were neglecting their community people who constituted 30 per cent of the State population. They said that in the coming general elections in 2014, they would support only those parties that would allot more seats to their communities. Several leaders of Shetty Balija and Goud communities attended the political meeting of both the communities at local Suryakalamandir, on Sunday. Stating that the major political parties were giving step motherly treatment to the Shetty Balijas and Goud communities who were nearly eight lakh in the district, they said that they were being used as pawns by the various parties. Even though they are politically advanced, there is no single MLA from their community in the district, they said. In the coming elections they would support only those parties that gave representation to their community, they added. They demanded that reservations should be made in allotting wine shops under the State Excise policy as the toddy tappers are facing a lot of difficulties due to the government policies, they said. Resolutions were passed regarding working for the implementation of BC sub plan and for the constructing of a building for the BCs with government funds etc. They also demanded that in corporate posts their communities should be given importance. The SC, ST sub plan should be facilitated and justice should be done for BCs, they urged. At the meeting chaired by Geddada Venkateshwar Rao, former minister Pilli Subashchandra Bose, former MLAs Kudipudi Chittabbai, Dommeti Venkateswar Rao, former MLA Pilli Ananthalakshmi, TDP district secretary Pilli Satyanarayana Murthy, former ZP chairman Cheeluboyina Venugolapakrishna, Guthula Bulli Raju, Nulukurthy Venkateswar Rao and others participated.