Telangana shutdown against Polavaram bill begins on peaceful note

Hyderabad: Telangana is facing a day-long bandh on Saturday called in protest against the passage in Lok Sabha of a Bill to transfer some villages of the newly-created state to Andhra Pradesh to aid the construction of the Polavaram project. [caption id=“attachment_1615831” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A shutdown had been called in Telangana to protest the Polavaram bill. FirstPost[/caption] The bandh, called by Left parties and the Telangana Joint Action Committee (which spearheaded separate statehood movement), began on a peaceful note and there was no report of any untoward incidents anywhere in the state, police said. “Situation in the state is peaceful. We expect it to remain peaceful. No untoward incident has been reported,” Inspector General (North Zone), Ravi Gupta, told PTI. Most educational institutions in capital Hyderabad and other important cities of the state remained closed. According to early reports, government bus services in most parts of Telangana were non-operational. Criticising the passage of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha yesterday, CPI(M) Telangana Secretary Thamineni Veerabhadram alleged that interests of big investors was being served in the name of protecting farmers of Andhra Pradesh. The said Bill paves the way for transfer of some villages of Khammam district of Telangana to Andhra Pradesh. The Bill, which replaces an earlier ordinance, was passed amidst protests by TRS, BJD and other parties. TRS, the ruling party in Telangana, is vehemently opposed to the transfer of villages. CPI(M) and other Left parties, too, are opposed to the multi-purpose project, saying it would lead to submergence of tribal habitations. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has strongly criticised the BJP-led NDA government over the legislation, calling it “undemocratic and unethical.” The long-pending irrigation-cum-hydel power generation project, spread over several districts and envisaged more than three decades back, has been given national status, meaning it will have the Centre’s financial backing and facilitation. The multi-crore project, which also seeks to provide water for drinking and industrial purposes, is to come up in Polavaram mandal of Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district. PTI