Date:14/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/14/stories/2007011408530300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Road blockade disrupts traffic

Staff Reporter

Protest against closure of Gooty RTC depot

ANANTAPUR: Vehicular traffic on NH-7 and NH-63 came to a standstill for about three hours on Saturday due to an all-party road blockade protest taken up at Gooty against the closure of APSRTC bus depot there.

Traffic on the two highways was diverted through interior roads to ease the problem.

All-party panel

An all-party committee comprising TDP, CPI, CPI (M) and BSP staged the road blockade at the intersection junction of NH-7 and NH-63 from 11a.m. to 2 p.m.

As vehicles were stranded on either side on the two highways the police tried to ease the problem by diverting the Kanyakumari-Jammu NH-7 traffic through interior roads connecting Pyapili and Pedda Vaduguru, bypassing Gooty. Similarly, the traffic of Nellore-Akola NH-63 was eased through Tadipatri-Anantapur road bypassing Gooty.

The road blockade was led by K. Srinivasulu, P. Sunita, B.K. Parthasarathi, P. Raghunatha Reddy, V. Hanutmantharaya Chowdary, R. Sainath Goud and K.C. Narayana (TDP), M.V. Ramana, D. Jagadish and M. Ramu (CPI), G. Obulakonda Reddy, M. Imtiaz and Subhash Reddy (CPI-M) and Nagabhushanam and Obulesu (BSP).

Charge against Minister

Speaking on the occasion the leaders alleged that Gooty depot was shut down by RTC to allow Minister for Panchayat Raj and Endowments J.C. Diwakar Reddy run his buses without any competition.

The closure also helped Agriculture Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy to stake claim for setting up a depot in his Madakasira constituency, they said.

The police arrested about 300 persons including the leaders.

They were later released on personal surety.

Further, they alleged that closure of the depot was a conspiracy of the Congress and the impact was already telling on the commuters of small and interior villages.

Several routes to small villages were already discontinued by other depots in the district where the 54 buses of Gooty depot were adjusted after assuring that all routes of the depot would be kept intact.

A large number of local people also participated in the protest and demanded re-opening of the bus depot with its original strength of 54 buses and 320 staff.