The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Irate traders of hides take to streets

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Sunday, May 24, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Irate traders of hides take to streets

Staff Reporter

Entry of truckload of hides into Bholakpur stopped

HYDERABAD: Attempts by municipal authorities to prevent entry of hides from other parts of the capital and outskirts into Bholakpur set-off panicky and angry reactions from locals on Saturday. Irate traders of hides staged an impromptu dharna in front of Chikkadpally police station, disrupting traffic at RTC crossroads.

Trouble began when officials stopped a truck loaded with hides from entering Bholakpur for treatment. The authorities handed over the truck to Chikkadpally police. Bholakpur locals, during the course of protests, said that the authorities had threatened to close down the hides mandis from Sunday.

This apparent threat elicited angry reactions from mandi owners, who maintained that they would continue their trade from Bholakpur. “It was the contaminated water of the water board, which killed 15 people in Bholakpur. Our hides mandis are harmless because we use only salt and not chemicals to treat them,” they said.

The protest led to a huge gridlock on RTC crossroads-Musheerabad main road. The dharna lasted for over two hours, as MIM leader Ahmed Pasha Quadri and TRS leader Nayani Narasimha Reddy joined the protests. Angry protestors burnt the effigy of GHMC and damaged two four-wheelers.

Later on, GHMC authorities managed to convince hides mandi owners to give up the dharna and join them in another round of talks on coming Monday. GHMC has already held five rounds of talks with local community leaders, hides mandi owners and politicians on the issue.Officials said that preventing entry of hides from other parts of the city was a first step towards complete shifting of hides treatment mandis from Bholakpur. Authorities informed that already adhoc arrangements have been made at Chengicherla to shift the 110 odd skin mandis of Bholakpur in due course of time.

“State human Rights Commission has given clear instructions to shift hides mandis. The local leaders and hides mandi owners also accepted to shift to Chengicherla. They are demanding a few more facilities at Chengicherla and it would be provided,” said GHMC Special Commissioner M. T. Krishna Babu.

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