ANANTAPUR: The first meeting of the Zilla Parishad general body elected in July was held amid chaos here on Monday due to protests by TDP for different reasons. The special meeting was called for constitution of standing committees.

TDP activists from Bukkaraya Samudram mandal entered the meeting hall even before commencement of the meeting and raised slogans against their ZPTC member G. Srikanth Reddy who defected to Congress during the Chairperson election on July 10. They also demanded his resignation.

The defected ZPTC member was not in the meeting hall during the protest. He was in the Chairperson's chambers along with another defector T. Raghavaiah.

As the TDP activists were sent out by ZP officials led by deputy CEO G. Jayapal Reddy stating that they could not enter the meeting hall, the TDP ZPTC joined the protest outside the hall.

Argument with police

The police pulled out non-members from the protest sit-in in front of the meeting hall. The TDP ZPTC members also entered into an argument with a police officer for alleged disrespect to one of their woman members. The police officer had to leave the place as the TDP members argued that he had no right to obstruct their protest.

Later in the meeting hall, the TDP ZPTC members protested once again over non-inclusion in the standing committees of their choice. Responding to the TDP protest, Chairperson T. Kavitha said members in the committees could be changed. A. Venkatarami Reddy, Anantapur MP, intervened and suggested all the ZPTCs to raise issues like severe drought conditions and NREGS instead of wasting time on petty issues.

He cautioned the ZPTC members that there was a danger of misuse of funds like NREGS if they were not vigilant. He asked them to keep an eye on implementation of the scheme and highlight irregularities, if any. Singanamala legislator S. Sailajanath and Vice-Chairperson P. Narasimhulu also participated.

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