HYDERABAD: Tension prevailed in Sirpur Kaghaznagar on Sunday after Kaghaznagar zilla parishad Vice Chairman and brother of Sirpur Kaghaznagar MLA from TRS party Konneru Konappa, Konneru Krishna along with his followers attacked forest department officials who were on a plantation drive.
The officials were at a 20-hectare site which is a reserve forest but is presently encroached for podu cultivation, to conduct sapling plantation as part of compensatory afforestation for the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project.
In the incident, the Kaghaznagar Forest Range Officer Ch Anitha was seriously injured, as Koneru Krishna hit her with a stick. Anitha was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Around 40 forest officials and 30 Police officials had reached the 20Hectare degraded forest land which falls under the Raspally beat of Kaghaznagar forest range, to plough it and conduct afforestation works. The degraded forest land was encroached and being used for cultivation.
Soon after the forest officials reached, Koneru Krishna and his followers also visited the spot and obstructed them by attacking them with sticks in which Ch Anitha was injured.
Soon after the incident, Superintendent of police M. Malla Reddy visited the hospital to inquire about forest range officer Ch. Anitha.
Congress constituency in charge P.Harish strongly condemned the attack and demanded to file a criminal case against Koneru Krishna and suspend him from the party.
MLSA Konnapa announced that Krishna should resign from his Kagaznagar ZPTC and vice chairman post. The police have filed cases on him and his follower.
The forest divisional officer, Kaghaznagar has in a statement detailed the incident. Below is the full statement.
