People's Democracy

ANDHRA PRADESH

CPI(M) Demands Pro-Active

Steps to End Impasse

THE CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh state committee has strongly objected to the indifferent attitude of the central and state governments to the intensifying agitations in the state. It felt the chief minister and Group of Ministers are not taking initiative to solve the problems being raised by the striking government employees.

The two-day meeting of the state committee was held in Party state headquarters MB Bhavan on October 10-11, 2013. Addressing the media in the afternoon of the first day, Party state secretary B V Raghavulu lambasted the chief minister for sleeping on his job even as the common people were suffering due to agitations, bandhs, electricity employees strike etc. 

A resolution adopted by the state committee on the present situation demanded that the chief minister must immediately take initiative to arrange a meeting of the striking employee leaders with central government in order to resolve the impasse. It noted that the agitation for maintaining the integrated state of Andhra Pradesh that began after the July 30 resolution of Congress Working Committee proposing division of state has intensified with the approval of cabinet note on October 3. The entire Seemandhra region came to a standstill with two-day bandh call. With electricity employees also beginning an indefinite strike, power generation and distribution was seriously affected. There was a danger of collapse of entire Southern Grid. People suffered a lot with even hospitals impacted seriously due to this strike. The state committee resolution warned that if things continued in this manner, people’s lives and economic affairs of the state would suffer irrevocably.

The resolution also requested the central government to hold discussions with the political parties in the state either individually or jointly. It also called upon the political parties to eschew electoral opportunism that would only complicate the problems further. Instead they must clearly state their position before the people and the Group of Ministers formed by the central government. The CPI(M) also wanted the central government to announce a programme for holding consultations with those agitating on this issue and also with all organisations and individuals interested in expressing their opinions on this issue.  The resolution also demanded immediate alternative measures to overcome the dire situation arising out of the indefinite strike by electricity employees with water supply affected, hospitals facing crisis and borewell irrigation severely affected.

Raghavulu said the centre must move ahead on this issue only after holding these consultations. This problem can be solved only by this method, he felt. Taking a dig at TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu who is talking of ‘justice’, Raghavulu demanded that he must first make it clear to the people and central government as to what he concretely means by ‘justice’. Also YSRCP president Jaganmohan Reddy must make clear how the state would become a desert if it is divided, as he is claiming. Similarly BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu must also tell clearly what he means by ‘equal justice’ to Seemandhra people. Raghavulu lambasted these parties for trying to fool the people in their opportunist attempt to gain political mileage.  Replying to a question, he said the CPI(M) is totally opposed to imposition of President Rule in the state. No matter how volatile the situation is, as long as elected representatives are there, this option must not be exercised, he felt.