KADAPA: All shops, commercial establishments, schools and educational institutions except emergency and medical services shut their doors across the Rajampet constituency demanding that the State government set up a new Annamayya district with Rajampet as headquarters.
Normal life came to a standstill as the public transport system was suspended and other essential services were closed down. Rajampet DSP Sivabhaskar Reddy beefed up security to avert any untoward incident as the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Rajampet Zilla Sadhana Samiti called a bandh on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, the JAC members — Meda Vijaya Sekhar Reddy, K Sarath Kumar Raju, A Pratap Reddy and N Ramesh Naidu — said the government has done injustice to the people of Rajampet. “The YSRCP government, which promised to form new districts in every parliamentary constituency, has Rayachoti as the headquarters of Annamayya district, ignoring Rajampet,” JAC members pointed out.
“Rajampet, the birth-place of saint-poet Annamayya who rendered 32,000 Keerthanas of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy, was left out and Rayachoti, which is 70 kilometres away, has been made the district headquarters of Annamayya district. Also, the Rajampet region boasts of having Vontimitta temple regarded as the Andhra Bhadradri, and it is home for Cheyyeru, Penna rivers.”
Additionally, the region lost the Nandaluru railway locomotive shed, Alwin manufacturing plants. Due to the shortsightedness of some political parties and selfishness of political leaders, the government did injustice to the region, the JAC leaders said. They sought support from all the political parties in their struggle.