The state government has come to the aid of the Rajayyapeta fishermen’s struggle against the proposed bulk drug park at Nakkapalli in Anakapalle district. State Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha announced that the work will be temporarily suspended. Anitha said that the work will be stopped until the problem is resolved.
However, the fishermen have announced that the proposal to set up the bulk drug park should be completely canceled and that their hunger strike will continue until then. Earlier, Home Minister Anitha visited the hunger strike camp being organized by the fishermen. Fishermen’s leaders and political party leaders brought the loss caused by the establishment of the bulk drug park to her attention.
They demanded that it be immediately canceled, which will harm the employment and existence of fishermen. She assured that if some fishermen from Rajayyapet village form a committee, they will take all of them to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan immediately after Dussehra.
But, later when she was leaving, all the fishermen suddenly blocked her convoy. She demanded a clear assurance that the bulk drug park would be stopped. To this, the Minister said that the central and state governments had decided to set up a bulk drug park and that he was not in a position to give a promise. Angered by this reply, the fishermen went on a large-scale agitation.
They blocked the road with a palm tree and made them sit. Despite the police’s attempts to control them, the fishermen resisted. They declared that they would not be allowed to move until they were assured that the bulk drug park, which was affecting their existence and livelihood, would be completely abolished.
They recalled Anita’s speech against the company during the protest they had taken up in the past against the construction of the Hetero Drugs pipeline. They urged fishermen not to be taken away from the sea and that they should not be given any other profession except fishing.
Despite the police’s efforts, the fishermen did not move away from the road. The Home Minister got out of his car and assured them that the bulk drug park work would be stopped until the problem was resolved. The minister left the scene after the fishermen calmed down with this assurance.
