Praja Sankalpa Yatra Diary, Day 17: Time To End The Culture Of Political Murders

November 25, Ramakrishnapuram, Kurnool

For the past 24 years, Pattikonda has been returning a Telugu Desam Party nominee to the AP Assembly. Yet, this constituency presents a sad picture of utter poverty, lack of road connectivity, transportation and near total absence of public health infrastructure, safe drinking water facility and a non-existent housing scheme. Wonder when the situation would change for the better!

As I entered Cherukulapadu village, I remembered the gruesome murder of my party colleague Narayana Reddy. He was brutally killed for questioning the corruption of the ruling party leaders. They were worried that he would pose a political challenge to them. I wonder what kind of a political culture is this? Where are we heading? This demonic rule has to cease and all this culture of killing should end. I shall stand by my cadre and workers, who are braving the atrocities perpetrated by the TDP on my partymen. I have resolved to stand by Sri Devamma, who, despite the irreparable loss in the form of her husband Narayana Reddy’s killing, is fighting for the people and the party. Hence, I announced Sri Devi as the first candidate of the party for the Assembly elections.

I met RTC driver Nagaraju today. He joined the RTC as a driver in 1974 and served the organization for 35 long years. His work also affected his health. He retired in 2008 and while his last pay drawn was just Rs 18000, the monthly pension he gets today is a mere Rs 1650. How can anyone make both the ends meet with such a small amount, especially in old age? Isn’t there a dire need to provide minimum social security? I strongly feel that retirees should be provided with adequate social security after they retire from service.

Then I met women who cook food for the school children as part of the mid-day meals scheme. They told me that their arrears for the last six months have remained pending. Model school staff told me that they haven’t been getting their salaries for the past five months. This typifies the TDP’s ‘commitment’ or the lack of it towards the midday meals scheme, which is meant to provide nutritious food to the children and improve their attendance in the school.

The hostels and schools are being shut down and the teachers of prestigious model schools are not getting salaries for months together and these schools do not have adequate facilities. Are all these meant to benefit the corporate education mafia Mr Chandrababu? Is it not a fact that there have been a spate of political murders in Andhra Pradesh under your rule and the perpetrators have your active support? How will you justify abetment of political murders as a Chief Minister?