Cong. to continue agitation against tariff hike

ARMOOR, JUNE 29. The APCC president, Mr. M.Satyanarayana Rao, has reiterated the party's decision to continue the agitation against the power tariff hike till the Government realises its folly and rolls back the hike.

The APCC chief was addressing a public meeting after visiting the town to call on an injured farmer, Gangaram, who sustained grievous injury during a lathicharge on agitating farmers protesting against the power tariff hike. Mr. Satyanarayana Rao said the party was determined to fight it out till the end to make the Government reconsider its hasty decision which had already led to loud protests from all sections of the society. He said the Government cannot terrorise the people by resorting to lathicharge when they are making their protest known against the hike.

Hundreds of people heard the Congress leaders' speeches braving a heavy downpour. The people cheered the leaders whenever they mentioned about the recent power tariff hike. Some of them even wrote slips and sent it to the leaders sitting on the dais to continue the agitation. Full-throated slogans rent the air denouncing the Chief Minister and demanding the withdrawal of the power tariff hike.

The PCC chief and the CLP leader called on Gangaram who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Armoor and handed over Rs. 5,000 each on behalf of the PCC and the CLP.

Mr. Satyanarayana Rao said the Congress would not be deterred by the adamant attitude of the Government, as it has been proved beyond doubt that the TDP Government was trying to impose its whims and fancies on the people. Accusing the Chief Minister, Mr. N.Chandrababu Naidu, of bringing hardships to the common man at the behest of the World Bank, he said the people were not in a mood to accept such decisions.

The Congress Legislature Party leader, Dr. Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy, during his address directed his attention to the role of the police in the agitation and accused them of acting on the instructions of the State Government. He issued a veiled warning to the police officials that they should not be under the impression that the TDP Government rule was forever. ``They are acting more as the representatives of the TDP rather than performing their duties as per the needs'', he said accusing them of terrorising people.

The APCC vice-president and Nizamabad MLA, Mr. D.Srinivas, said the ongoing agitation could not be suppressed by use of force against the farmers. He said the party would not keep quite and watch the misery of the farmers. The Balkonda MLA, Mr. K.R.Suresh Reddy, said the lathicharge on the agitating farmers at Mamidipalli crossroads last week was unjustified and pointed out that the farmers were only demanding the District Collector or a senior official to visit the site of the agitation and give an assurance. The Bodhan MLA, Mr. P.Sudarshan Reddy, asserted the farmers were even more determined now to make the Government realise its hasty decision to hike the power tariff.

The Armoor MLA, Mr. Bajireddi Goverdhan, who presided over the meeting, blamed the police for resorting to unprovoked firing on the farmers who were ventilating their anger as most of them were using power for the agricultural operations because of insufficient irrigation facilities in Armoor and Balkonda constituencies. The former Minister, Mr. Santosh Reddy, derided the Government for burdening the people with such a hefty hike, which he termed as unprecedented in the history of the State. The DCC president, Md. Ali Shabbir, said the people were solidly behind the Congress in the ongoing agitation.

The Rajya Sabha member, Mr. K.M.Khan, All India Youth Congress secretary, Mr. Mahesh Kumar Goud, All-India NSUI general secretary, Mr. Preniel V.Nair, NSUI State president, Mr. Ponnam Prabhakar, Armoor block Congress president, Mr. Venkateswar Hande, addressed the gathering.

The former MLAs - Mr. Gangaram and Mr. Bal Reddy, DCC general secretaries - Mr. Quddus, Mr. Taher Bin Hamdan, Mr. Bhoom Reddy and Mr. Mara Chandramohan, vice-president, Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy, official spokesman, Mr. N.L.Narayana, State Youth Congress vice- president, Mr. Gangadhar, NSUI district president, Mr. Sharat, Nizamabad Town Congress president, Mr. Seshadri Goud, NSUI leader, Mr. Ramu, State Mahila Congress, Ms. Premalata Agarwal, were present.

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