Andhra Pradesh

Ministers call on Ravi Shankar's family

Special Correspondent

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Government would take a final decision on bauxite mining in the agency area only after taking into consideration the feelings and opinion of the Girijans and people's representatives, said Minister for Commercial Taxes Konathala Ramakrishna at Hukumpeta on Tuesday.

Mr. Ramakrishna who was talking to reporters after calling on the family of Vice-Chairman of Zilla Praja Parishad Samida Ravi Shankar, who was killed by CPI (Maoist) on Monday night, said that under these circumstances it was unfortunate that the Maoists had killed Ravi Shankar charging him with promoting bauxite mining and recruitment of Girijans into the police force.

Along with Mr. Ramakrishna, Tribal Welfare Minister D.S. Redya Naik, Director General of Police M.A. Basith, ZPP Chairman G. Ramamurthy Naidu, Collector Anil Kumar Singhal, DIG of Visakha Range Jitender, MLAs K. Ravi Babu, U.V. Ramanamurthy Raju and Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao, MLCs K. Sarveswara Rao and G. Sreenivasulu Naidu, ITDA Project Officer A. Sharat, Sub-Collector Lokesh Kumar, former Chairperson of ZPP V. Kantamma, local MPP S.V. Ramana Murthy and others consoled wife and children of Ravi Shankar.

Mr. Ramakrishna and Mr. Redya Naik condemned the killing of Ravi Shankar. Mr. Naik said that the Government as well as the Congress party would extend help to Ravi Shankar's family.

NJR shocked

Visakhapatnam MP N. Janardhana Reddy, in a message from Delhi expressed his shock over the incident. "It is an unfortunate incident and a young tribal leader was killed. Problems should be solved in a peaceful manner in a democratic set up and one should not resort to violence", Mr. Reddy said.

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