Anantapur: A tense situation prevailed at Proddatur on Sunday when the police arrested Kadapa Steel Plant Sadhana Samiti convener G. Praveenkumar Reddy, whose health deteriorated on the fourth day of his hunger strike.
Mr Reddy, a civil engineer, was staging a protest with the slogan Kadapa Ukku Seema Hakku, demanding the setup of a steel plant in the district. As his health began to deteriorate, the police made a move to arrest him and forcibly shifted him to a hospital.
At the hospital Mr Reddy continued his fast and refused any sort of drip or treatment. Meanwhile, three members of his family joined in the movement and substituted him on the dais. Mr Reddy said that the Samiti had taken up an issue of genuine concern.
“The government should immediately set up a steel plant in the district”, he said.
The protest gathered a huge following of people who extended their support to the cause.
The agitation has also attracted the attention of all the parties in the Kadapa district. Veteran leader Mysoora Reddy in agreement with the protestors said,
“Though the establishment of a steel plant was mentioned in the Bifurcation Act, no steps have been taken towards the development of Rayala-seema region in the past three years.”
Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy, who also offered his support to the cause recalled that he had raised this issue at Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, and had petitioned that the Union Minister sanction the setup of a steel industry in the Kadapa district.
The YSRC Kadapa MP applauded the Samiti for creating awareness among youth for taking an initiative to ensure that a steel plant was set up in the district which would be a source of income for many unemployed youths.
