Villagers pull up AP Speaker over drinking water

VISAKHAPATNAM: Speaker Tammineni Sitaram went through a bitter experience on Saturday evening when a large number of people in Lakkapuram village under Burja mandal of his Amadalavalasa constituency pulled him up for lack of drinking water, power connections and deletion of names from the pensioners’ list.

Sitaram had visited the village as a part of the “Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam.” Many of the villagers told the Speaker that on eve of the elections, leaders promise to supply drinking water to every home. But nothing has been done to date in Lakkapuram village, they charged.

Some women complained to Sitaram that they did not get ration cards. Some others protested that their names have been removed from the pensioners’ list.

They demanded that the Anganwadi centre, which had been promised for the village, be immediately started and Asha workers appointed to it.

Responding to their demands, the Speaker informed villagers that an overhead tank will be constructed within 30 to 45 days and water will be supplied to every home at a cost of ₹27 lakhs. He also asked the electrical engineer to install streetlights in the village.

Sitaram gave firm assurance to villagers that he will visit the village only after completing these works as promised.