TRS 'mahadharna' ends peacefully

Hyderabad, Dec 29 (UNI) Police heaved a sigh of relief when the 'Mahadharna' (road blockade) of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) along the 250 km long Rajiv National Highway between Ranga Reddy and Adilabad Districts demanding nine-hour uninterrupted power supply to farmers ended at 1700 hrs today without any untoward incident.

Farmers and TRS activists arrived in bullock carts for the dharna during which they cooked food and ate on the road.Hundreds of vehicles were stranded due to the blockade.

While TRS Supremo K Chandrasekhara Rao launched the agitation in Toomukunta, his deputy A Narendra started it in Karimnagar.

Later, Mr Chandrasekhara Rao proceeded to Siddipet in Medak District and ate his lunch on the road.

Talking to newsmen, Mr Rao claimed the agitation was peaceful and even the 'police had co-operated with his party.' Alleging the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy Government, which was calling itself 'farmer-friendly', for failing to provide power to the farmers, he said the agitation would continue until the government provided them uninterrupted power supply.

He alleged that instead of releasing water from the Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar Projects for hydel power generation, the government was storing the water for supply to the second crop in the Andhra region, resulting in the crisis.

Only yesterday the government started power generation from the two reservoirs 'bowing to pressure from the TRS', he claimed.

Mr Rao said the TDP and the CPI, an ally of the Congress, had come forward to join hands with the TRS in the agitation and there would be a united fight. The Police meanwhile, made elaborate arrangements to maintain law and order.

UNI JRK PB KN1953