Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur   

TDP activists lay siege to collectorate

Photo: R.V.S. PRASAD

Drawing attention:TDP leaders participating in ‘Vanta varpu' programme opposite the collectorate in Anantapur on Wednesday. —

ANANTAPUR: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Wednesday laid a siege to the district collectorate in Anantapur protesting the hike in the prices of diesel and LPG.

The TDP cadres led by district leaders – Uravakonda MLA Payyavula Keshav, Rapthadu MLA Paritala Sunitha, TDP district president B.K. Parthasarathy and polit bureau member Kalava Srinivasulu – started off with a rally after garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi near the collectorate.

On reaching the collectorate, the leaders and cadres donned the role of chefs cooking food on the road opposite to the collectorate as a symbolic protest against increase in the price of the LPG.

Later, they went in a group and laid siege to the collectorate and demanded that they be allowed in. When stopped by the police who closed the gate, they raised slogans demanding that the State government immediately roll back the prices by reducing the taxes on these products, thereby lending a helping hand to the poor, and warned of intensifying their struggle if the government failed to meet their demand.

With the police unable to prevent the protesters from entering the collectorate, the latter entered the premises of the collectorate, making it inevitable for the police to arrest them. Later they were released on bail.

Speaking to the crowd that gathered there, district TDP president, B.K. Parthasarathy demanded that the State government immediately reduce the VAT and other taxes on LPG and diesel making it affordable to the general public already reeling under the pressure of high prices.

He also demanded that rice be procured from farmers immediately and also ensure that MSP be paid the them. He also wanted help extended to farmers affected badly by ‘Jal' cyclone.

One of the other major demands of the protesting TDP workers was that the government postpone the last date for rescheduling of crop loans from 30th June by at least a month so as to help many farmers whose loans were yet to be rescheduled.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Parthasarathy said: “We are meeting the Collector tomorrow and would pursue the matter at other levels to ensure that the government extends the last date for crop loan rescheduling”.

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