By Express News Service
VIJAYAWADA/KADAPA: As the fast-unto-death, being observed by TDP MP CM Ramesh and MLC BTech Ravi, entered the sixth day on Monday, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu wanted all the five crore, people of the State, to involve in the agitation so as to achieve the steel plant for Kadapa.
During a teleconference with the party leaders, the Chief Minister recalled the ‘Visakha Ukku - Andhrula Hakku’ agitation and the subsequent establishment of a steel plant at Visakhapatnam. He wanted the people to draw inspiration from that agitation and mount pressure on the Centre to establish the steel plant in Kadapa district with a slogan ‘Kadapa Ukku - Andhrula Hakku’.
Stating that despite raising the Kadapa steel plant issue in Parliament and also making an appeal to the Prime Minister and the Union Steel Minister, the BJP leaders at the Centre remained stubborn and filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that setting up a steel plant in Kadapa is not economically viable even though MECON submitted a positive report on the viability of the project, he said. He said the Centre is deliberately delaying the project to benefit YSRC president YS Jaganmohan Reddy and mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy.
Meanwhile, in Kadapa, unmindful of deteriorating health condition, the TDP MP and MLC are continuing their fast-unto-death. RIMS Director Dr N Sasidhar and Superintendent Dr T Giridhar examined the fasting TDP leaders and expressed concern over their deteriorating health condition and informed the same to the Collector and SP. Speaking to the media, fasting MP Ramesh said that he is determined to continue the fast till the Centre announces the establishment of a steel factory.
He appealed to the students to take part in the agitation as the steel factory if established, would generate thousands of jobs. Excise Minister KS Jawahar, State Planning Board Vice-Chairman Kutumba Rao and MLA JC Prabhakar Reddy were among those who visited the fasting MP and extended solidarity.
Marketing Minister C Adinarayana Reddy warned of intensifying agitation for steel factory unless the Centre conceded the demand. TDP leader G Veerasiva Reddy said that instead of enquiring from the Chief Minister about the health condition of TDP MP and MLC, the Governor should have visited the fasting leaders. The SP told the media that police would take action based on the medical report.
