Title - All-party meeting sets July 1 deadline

Wants State to make its stand clear on Havelock Bridge

The all-party meeting convened under the chairmanship of senior Telugu Desam Party leader Ganni Krishna has set a deadline as July 1 to the State government to declare its stand on proposed auction of historic Havelock Bridge across river Godavari.It expressed serious concern and anguish over the decision and warned serious consequences if the Railway Board authorities go unilaterally on their own.The meeting resolved to meet visiting Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday and represent the matter through MLA Rowthu Suryaprakasha Rao with a delegation consisting representatives of all parties and organisations.Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, former minister and general secretary of TDP who addressed the all-party meeting here on Saturday said that every one above the party lines should join together and protest the proposed auction and at the same time demand for handing over the bridge to the State Tourism Department to develop as a tourist attraction under Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) method.BJP national executive council member Somu Veerraju said that Railway Board is body which do not respond to the public concerns immediately and its’ dictatorial tendencies should be protested at all levels by involving local MPs and more than 12 Union Ministers from the State to save Havelock Bridge.CPI district secretary Meesala Satyanaryana said that the State government should make its stand clear that it is going to adopt to protect the historic monument. CPI (M) leader Arun called upon the parties to fight unitedly to save the bridge.Nandepu Srinivas, President, Chamber of Commerce said that as Zonal Railway Consumers Committee member, he had written to senior Railway officials and they said that ball is in State government’s court.He announced that Chamber is ready to give its support for any agitation.Ashok Kumar Jain, Wholesale Merchants Association and former chairman of Chamber announced that if the government is not going to meet the deadline Rajahmundry should observe one-day bandh for which Chamber, merchants would give full support.Jakkampudi Viajyalakshmi, YSR Congress Central Committee member said that the people who are in power should guide the rest of the parties in fighting the cause and combined effort will give results. Loksatta district president V.V. Ramarao and City TDP president Vasireddy Rambabu spoke.The president of Andhra Kesari Yuvajana Samiti said that they would take up cultural mass movement and also week-long pictorial competitions on Havelcok Bridge from Sunday. T.K. Visweswara Reddy, Sappa Durgaprasad, B.V. Naidu and others spoke.