Power tariff: Cong. threatens direct action

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 16. The Congress has served an ``ultimatum'' on the Government to roll back the power tariff hike by July 30 or face intensification of the ongoing agitation.

All Collectorates and electricity offices will be picketed on July 31 and Congress activists would attend the Mahila Janmabhoomi programme from August 1 to 7 in large numbers, ``to corner representatives of the Government, including Ministers and MLAs of the ruling party, on the power tariff hike.''

This was decided at a meeting of senior party leaders convened by the APCC president, Mr. M. Satyanarayana Rao, on Sunday to review the ongoing stir and chalk out the future course of action.

Addressing a press conference later, Mr. Satyanarayana Rao said the picketing would be part of the ``direct action'' planned by the party to force the Government to withdraw the power tariff hike. The stir would be carried to the State Assembly by 90 MLAs of the party when it meets for the budget session from August 10.

The APCC president said the ongoing ``gherao programme'' (from July 10 to 20) would be extended till the month-end.

A NSUI-sponsored State rally would be staged in Hyderabad on July 24 and the Youth Congress would organise a similar rally on July 29. Mahila Congress activists would attend the Janmabhoomi programme and question Government representatives as was done during gram sabhas.

The strategy to sustain the agitation in the face of the ``recalcitrant attitude'' of the Government was discussed at the meeting attended among others by the CWC member, Mr. Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy, the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, former Chief Ministers, Mr. N. Janardhan Reddy and Mr. N. Bhaskara Rao, former Union Ministers, Mr. G. Venkata Swamy and Mr. P. Shiv Shankar, the former PCC-I president, Mr. V. Hanumantha Rao.

Speakers voiced concern over the ``repression'' let loose by the Government through police on the agitators. In a veiled attack on the party leadership, some MLAs deplored that ``agitators facing lathi blows on the streets'' were left in the lurch, ``while seniors were lecturing in Hyderabad on the course of agitation''. Mr. P. Janardhan Reddy, former CLP leader, opined that the party should adopt a more aggressive stance by giving a call for ``jail bharo'' programme. But Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy refrained from speaking.

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