Pinapaka BRS unit calls for phased stir against sand mafia in agency areas

Former Pinapaka MLA Rega Kantha Rao alleged large-scale illegal sand mining in agency areas of the district and accused the state government of diverting mining-related funds meant for local development. Announcing a phased agitation under the BRS banner, he said protests, road blockades and a siege of the Collectorate would be organised between October 12 and November 5.

Kothagudem: Former Pinapaka MLA Rega Kantha Rao has called for phased protests against the sand mafia allegedly operating in agency areas in the district.

In a statement here he complained that overloaded sand trucks driven at reckless speeds have been causing unprecedented damage to roads, claiming the lives of innocent people or leaving them permanently disabled.

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Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy; Ministers Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Bhatti Vikramarka, Tummala Nageswara Rao and Seethakka were looting sand from the Godavari river like a gang of bandits, he alleged.

They are plundering valuable mineral wealth using benamis (proxies) while draining the public exchequer. When the Opposition questions the government, it offers no answer regarding the utilisation of DMFT and CSR funds. Though the funds are supposed to be spent locally, they are being diverted to other areas, in violation of the law, he alleged.

While roads in agency villages remained in a dilapidated state, the Congress government, allegedly to fulfil a wish of Revanth Reddy’s grandson, spent Rs 100 crore from CSR funds to invite football star Lionel Messi to Hyderabad.

On the other hand, funds worth hundreds of crores belonging to the region are being diverted on a massive scale for Young India Schools and development projects in the constituencies of top government figures, Kantha Rao said.

Therefore, under the aegis of the BRS, a series of phased protests to champion the cause of the Godavari river region’s people, demand a halt to the diversion of funds and insist that mining revenues generated from sand mining be allocated for the region’s development, he said.

Road blockades and protests at sand quarries would be held on October 12, protests in front of all gram panchayat offices on October 17, road blockades and protests at major road junctions in all mandals on October 22, protests and road blockades at Assembly constituency level on October 30 and a siege of the Collectorate and protests on November 5.

The Pinapaka constituency programme would be held at Manuguru while the Bhadrachalam constituency programme would be conducted at two locations: one at Bhadrachalam headquarters and another at the Venkatapuram headquarters, Kantha Rao informed urging BRS cadres to make the programmes a success.