TJAC & Communist Parties Call For Bandh Protesting Passage Of Polavaram Bill

The TJAC and the communist parties have called for shutdown on Saturday to protest the passage of Polavaram bill in Lok Sabha merging 7 mandals of Telangana with AP displaying lakhs of tribals.

The TJAC urged all sections of people to voluntarily take part in the strike to register their protest. The CPI, CPI(M), New Democracy and Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML) have also called for shutdown. Ruling TRS which has been fighting a legal battle over Polavaram expressed it’s support to the bandh. Telangana Congress too supported the protests.

TJAC chairman M. Kodandaram told reporters that the central government’s move in passing the bill without consent of Telangana is against Article 3 and so is unconstitutional. The communist leaders reiterated they are not against the dam but the design, which is not done to serve Andhra’s interests but those of big capitalists and contractors. The alternate design we have will store more water at much cheaper cost while avoiding displaying the tribals, they pointed out.

Amid protests by MPs from Telangana, Odisha & Chhattisgarh, the Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2014 or Polavaram Bill to merge 205 villages under seven mandals of Khammam district of Telangana with Andhra Pradesh.