KADAPA: A tense situation prevailed at the Dr MVR Rayalaseema Thermal Power Plant (RTPP) at Kalamala in Yerraguntla mandal on Tuesday as a dispute over fly ash transportation intensified. Police, including three Circle Inspectors, six Sub-Inspectors, and over 50 personnel, were deployed alongside special forces to prevent clashes, leaving workers on edge.
The conflict stems from a ‘power struggle’ between factions from Kadapa and Anantapur districts. Fly ash, transported free of cost to cement factories, has become a point of contention. A group associated with former Tadipatri MLA JC Diwakar Reddy has been sending the material to the L&T Cement Plant in Tadipatri.
However, supporters of Jammalamadugu MLA C Adinarayana Reddy, emboldened by the ruling alliance’s influence, are seeking to take control of the transportation, sources said.
They alleged that Adinarayana Reddy’s faction demanded commission for each tonne of fly ash transported. Attempts to mediate between the two leaders five days ago failed to resolve the issue, sources said.
On Tuesday, Diwakar Reddy’s supporters informed local police of their intention to visit RTPP for transportation work. Alerted by intelligence, Adinarayana Reddy’s group prepared to confront them. Police, led by DSP K Venkateswarlu, responded by deploying a heavy security detail at the plant to avert potential trouble. By the evening, neither faction had arrived at the RTPP, but the police force remained stationed as tension persisted.
The incident highlights growing internal conflicts within the ruling alliance. Despite Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s repeated warnings to alliance leaders against corruption and resource disputes, faction fights over control continue to surface in Kadapa.