Members of the Scheduled Castes of several villages in the Venkatagiri Assembly constituency met Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary N. Lokesh during his Yuva Galam padayatra on June 23 (Friday) and sought a solution to the problems they were facing in their colonies.
Narrating their woes to Mr. Lokesh, members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of Pigilam and Hasthakaveri villages said development never reached their villages.
They complained about the cancellation of the much-awaited water source drawn from the nearby Telugu Ganga canal by the YSRCP government, incomplete concrete roads to their habitations and objection raised by the forest officials to the tribal community for growing plants for their livelihood.
Reacting to their woes, Mr. Lokesh said the YSRCP government, in spite of claiming to be a welfare-oriented dispensation, had diverted the SC/ST sub-plan funds to the tune of ₹28,147 crore, causing severe harm to the communities. He assured to strengthen the SC Corporation upon the TDP coming to power.
Mr. Lokesh’s maternal uncle Nandamuri Ramakrishna and former Union Minister Panabaka Lakshmi joined his padayatra as a show of solidarity.
Mr. Lokesh later participated in a meeting with members of the Brahmin community at Jayampu village.
