Date:01/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/01/stories/2008010153830300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Law and order deteriorates in State, says Ashok

Correspondent

Call to oppose Government’s ‘anti-people’ polices

State Government stand on bauxite mining criticized
Leaders asked to mobilise artisans for ‘Maha Garjana’

VIZIANAGARAM: The law and order situation in the State deteriorated, the crime rate increased and the police machinery remained defunct except toeing political line, according to Telugu Desam leader P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju.

Some120 TDP workers were killed so far after the Congress came to power in 2004, he said on Monday.

Accusing the Congress government of insensitive to people’s problems, Mr. Ashok asked a gathering of party leaders at the general body meeting to prepare mentally for imprisonment of at least 30 to 60 days as the government was bent upon suppressing any kind of protests in the New Year.

Thotapalli regulator

Saying that the Thotapalli old regulator that was designed and built by ancestors had completed 100 years as on date though it was designed for 70 years, Mr. Ashok said that the TDP had designed the new barrage and obtained clearance from the CWC. But the present government changed the basic parameters and increased the project cost.

He said that even prior to commissioning the barrage, the structures developed cracks at several places.

While blaming the district administration for acting at the whims of ministers, he said though 96 per cent of the people present at the public hearing on Jindal alumina had opposed the factory, the government had taken a rigid posture.

Those staged protests opposing the factory were imprisoned, he said and asked party cadre to fight relentlessly against the government’s policies and help restore democratic structure in the State.

Plea to cadre

District president Y. Ramana Murty appealed to village, mandal and constituency level committees to organise blood donation camps on January 18, the death anniversary of NTR.

He also asked them to mobilise artisans and downtrodden people for the party’s ‘Maha Garjana’ at Warangal on January 23.

TDP wins bypoll

TDP candidate O. Bhimaraju won the by-elections held to MPTC (second segment) in S. Kota over his nearest Congress rival M. Srinivasa Rao by a margin of 544 votes.

Returning Officer T. Tyagaraju announced the results on Monday.

The polling was held on December 29.