Independent MLA Gollapalli Ashok went on a hunger strike over pending funds of health schemes, salaries, and welfare and civic initiatives.
Published Jan 11, 2023 | 12:08 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 11, 2023 | 12:10 AM
BJP leaders led by Puducherry Home Minister A Namassivayam paid a visit to him on 9 January night in Yanam, a Union Territory governed by Puducherry administration. (Supplied)
Yanam MLA Gollapalli Srinivas Ashok on Tuesday, 10 January, ended his indefinite fast demanding redressal of the pendency of funds for his constituency. The Independent lawmaker had been fasting for four days.
This comes after a delegation of BJP leaders led by Puducherry Home Minister A Namassivayam paid a visit to him on Monday night in Yanam, a Union Territory governed by the Puducherry administration.
Puducherry Lieutenant-Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan reportedly spoke to Ashok over the phone and requested him to end the fast.
“We assured him that the matter of grievances would be resolved in a time-bound manner. After speaking to him, the governor also assured him of all assistance,” Namassivayam, a BJP leader, told South First.
Ashok had earlier told South First that the Puducherry government, led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy, the founder of All India NR Congress, was showing a careless attitude towards the upliftment of Yanam.
He told South First after breaking the fast: “The chief minister did not visit me, but the Governor and home minister told me that five-six of my demands would be met in the next week.”
Ashok added: “I will wait for the government for the next two months. If they do not fulfil my constituency’s demands, I will go back to the hunger strike.”
Ashok, who was elected the Yanam legislator in 2021 after defeating Rangasamy himself, put forward nearly 20 demands when he sat on the fast on 6 January.
The primary demands pertained to funds for public health, policies, and several infrastructure works.
“The condition of the existing government hospitals needs to change. Doctors and medical equipment are also required,” the 29-year-old had told South First amidst his fast.
He added that the Puducherry government needed to disburse a pending amount of around ₹4 crore under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
“The scheme also needs to be implemented in all corporate hospitals, just like in Puducherry, Mahe, and Karaikal,” he said.
When South First visited Yanam, it found that there is one Government General Hospital to cater for the need of an estimated population of 60,000.
“Healthcare is poor here. There are only expensive private hospitals. If there is an emergency, we have to go 30 kilometres away to Kakinada town,” Subta Rao, a showroom owner, had told South First.
Meanwhile, the independent MLA also sought the sanction of ₹50,000 from the chief minister’s relief fund to the families of those who died of Covid-19.
Another major demand of Ashok was the sanction of ₹10 crore for the acquisition of house titles (pattas) of the people of Yanam and ₹10 lakh to each family under the Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) community.
He also urged the Puducherry government to clear the pending salaries of employees of the Yanam municipality as well as other departments.
“I even went to Delhi and met the home secretary. They issued the order to our government, but Rangasamy is not paying attention,” Ashok said earlier.
He also demanded that the government release funds and find a permanent solution to repair the dilapidated drainage system and roads of Yanam.
“Poor drainage should stop causing trouble to the people of the Dometi peta (village). The government also needs to construct dump yards away from residential areas,” he explained.
He added that adequate infrastructure needed to be developed to attract tourists to the coastal town of Andhra Pradesh.
Ashok also demanded that the Puducherry government move all eligible beneficiaries from the yellow card category to the red card category.
He also asked for special corporations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Backward Classes and Muslims.
“Currently, there is just one degree college, which is also in a bad state. Higher education institutes need to be constructed,” he said.
