Kamareddy bandh, opposing town master plan proposal, passes peacefully

KT Rama Rao advised officials to take farmers' opinion into consideration before preparing the master plan, calls the current one a "draft".

BySouth First Desk

Published Jan 06, 2023 | 7:26 PMUpdatedJan 06, 2023 | 7:27 PM

Kamareddy town witnessed tensions on 5 January when a large number of farmers assembled in front of the District Collectorate and protested against the master plan. (Supplied)

A bandh called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of farmers to protest against the proposed master plan of the Kamareddy town in Telangana passed off peacefully on Friday, 6 January, bringing much-needed relief to police officials.

The town witnessed tensions on Thursday when a large number of farmers assembled in front of the Kamareddy District Collectorate and protested against the master plan.

A scuffle took place when a group of farmers jumped over the walls and police barricades to enter the premises, prompting the police to disperse the irate farmers using force.

A farmer and a police constable sustained injuries due to the scuffle, and two women fell unconscious. All four were taken to the hospital nearby.

Better safe than sorry

When the bandh was called, the police deployed additional forces to prevent any untoward incident in the town.

Business owners closed their shops voluntarily, while the management of educational institutions declared a holiday for schools and colleges.

As both the BJP and the Congress extended their support to the bandh, the police took several leaders into preventive custody.

BJP Assembly in-charge Venkataramana Reddy was placed under house arrest by the police.

Another police team prevented BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri from entering the town.

Yet another police team prevented a group of BJP youths from conducting a bike rally in the town.

‘BJP will intensify fight against BRS’

Reacting to Thursday’s incident in Kamareddy, BJP MP K Laxman stated that the BRS’ downfall had started with the protest of farmers. He was speaking to reporters at the state party office in Hyderabad.

He found fault with Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao for speaking sarcastically about the death of a farmer in town.

Speaking about the master plan proposal, Laxman said that the master plan should be prepared after holding meetings in every village, instead of preparing it within four walls.

He added that the BJP would intensify its fight against the ruling party in the next few months.

The BJP also plans to launch agitations in support of farmers and exert pressure on the state government to resolve their problems, he said.

‘Take opinion of farmers’

Responding to the protest in Kamareddy at a workshop organised for municipal officials in Hyderabad, KT Rama Rao advised officials to take the opinion of farmers into consideration before preparing the master plan, which he said should be in favour of everyone.

The people should understand that the state government’s objective was to always extend cooperation to the people and not to create problems for them, he said.

He asked why officials could not educate farmers and explain to them that the master plan was still in its draft stage.

He instructed officials to examine the suggestions given by elected representatives and the people, and urged them to finalise all the master plans within this year.

Also Read: KTR slams Centre for MGNREGA policy, ask farmers to protest