Protests against Centre, Andhra Pradesh in Khammam over Polavaram Bill

Khammam: The passage of the controversial Bill which paves the way for the merger of seven mandals of Khammam district with Seemandhra by the Lok Sabha brought out the people here onto the streets in anger.

The people of the seven mandals protested by burning effigies of the Centre and Andhra Pradesh state.

As soon as the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, Bhadrachalam MLA Sunnam Rajaiah rushed to the sub-collector office and stopped the convoy of collector S. Srinaresh, who was in the town to attend a meeting.

The protesters, led by Mr Rajaiah, raised slogans against the Bill and asked the collector to do justice to the people of the seven mandals.

The collector tried to convince the MLA, saying that he had made all possible efforts. Mr Srinaresh said that the issue was in the Centre’s hands and there was no chance of anybody inte-rfering in its decision.

The activists bunt effigies of the Centre and the AP government.

Human chains were organised at the mandal headquarters of Kunavaram, VR Puram, Chintoor, Kukkunoor and Velierpad. The Committee called for bandh on Saturday protesting the passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha.

YSRC MLA T. Venkateswarlu said that the rights of adivasis were violated with the act of the Parliament.

Transport to be hit in Hyderabad

Transport will be affected due to the Telangana bandh as autorickshaw unions will support the call. About 1.3 lakh veh-icles of the Telangana unions will be off the roads. RTC services are also expected to be hit with the RTC Mazdoor Union extending its support to the bandh call. However, union representatives couldn’t say for sure if buses would remain off the roads.

Apart from the TRS, the Congress, CPI, CPM and the CPI-M, part of the TJAC, have supported the bandh. TJAC chairman Prof. Kodan-daram sought support of all political parties against the passage of the Polavaram Bill.