A bandh observed by the ruling TRS in Mahbubnagar district on Friday in protest against Andhra Pradesh government’s letter to Central Water Commission seeking stoppage of Palamuru – Ranga Reddy lift-irrigation project passed off peacefully.

The impact of the bandh was felt mostly by bus commuters as the fleet was confined to depots at Atchampet, Nagarkurnool, Kalwakurthy, Shadnagar, Kollapur, Mahbubnagar, Gadwal, Wanaparthy and Narayanpet. TRS leaders and workers squatted in front of the depots and prevented the buses from coming out. The effigies of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu were burnt and protestors staged dharna elsewhere.

Leaders of TRS and other parties staged a rasta-roko on the national highway near Erravelli village of Itkyal mandal. An all-party meeting was also held in the district headquarters town which was addressed by Health Minister C. Laxma Reddy, Mahbubnagar MP A.P. Jitender Reddy and Planning Board vice-chairman S. Niranjan Reddy. They said that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s efforts to set up obstacles for the development of Telangana would not last long.

The Minister said Mr. Naidu suppressed development in Mahbubnagar though he claimed to have adopted the district during his earlier tenure as Chief Minister. Mr. Naidu projected the backwardness and poverty of the district to foreign lending institutions but spent the loans given by them on coastal and Rayalaseema districts.

Another Minister from the district, Jupally Krishna Rao, dared Mr. Naidu and his son Lokesh for a debate on irrigation projects of Mahbubnagar at NTR Trust Bhavan of TDP in Hyderabad at 10 AM on Saturday. He said the TDP deliberately ignored the projects.

In Khammam, Roads and Buildings Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao expressed confidence that the Telangana government would construct Palamuru – Ranga Reddy and Nakkalagandi project, the latter in Nalgonda, at any cost despite any number of conspiracies by Mr. Naidu. The letter was written to CWC with the aim to shift the focus from cash-for-vote scam.

At his home in Kodangal of Mahbubnagar, Telugu Desam MLA A. Revanth Reddy said the AP government only sought from CWC detailed project report but did not demand its stoppage.