The Praja Sankalpa Yatra of YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy received a rousing reception at Venkatapuram village of Atchutapuram mandal in Visakhapatnam district on Sunday.
Women and party workers came in large numbers to Dhara Bhogapuram village, where he had camped the previous night, and met him before he set out on his 246th day of the padayatra.
Women’s wing president and MLA R.K. Roja, official representative Padmaja, women leaders from the district V. Kalyani, Garikina Gouri, Usha Rani and others tied rakhis to Mr. Jagan. They said women would be safe in the State only when he becomes the Chief Minister.
At Venkatapuram, the villagers, who were displaced by the Special Economic Zone (SEZ), told him that the State government had failed to provide them any benefit after acquiring their land. They told him of the problems they were facing in their colonies. The displaced persons of the Naval Alternate Operating Base (NAOB) also told him of the indifference of the government towards their problems. The people of Kothapeta and two other villages have not been paid compensation till date.
‘Water cut off’
The displaced persons alleged that the local MLA had cut off water supply to their villages as women protested for 20 days for the achievement of their demands. K. Anusha of Haripuram village said she was not being paid widow pension after the death of her husband two years ago. She had no other source of income and was finding it hard to look after her two children.
A number of women tied rakhis to Mr. Jagan all along the way. Women, students and children vied for selfies with him. In the post-lunch session also, people received him well, despite the intermittent showers. He concluded his yatra for the day at a camp on the outskirts of Ramannapalem village.