As the “Maha Padayatra” by the farmers of Amaravati to Arasavilli in Srikakulam district is all set to enter East Godavari district, the district administration on Friday announced closure of the historic rail-cum-road bridge on Godavari river that connects West and East Godavari districts.
While the district collector claimed that the bridge was being closed for repairs because of the damages caused to it in the recent rains, the Amaravati joint action committee (JAC) alleged that the bridge was closed only to prevent them from making a smooth entry into Rajahmahendravaram.
The district collector said the traffic to Rajahmundry would be diverted via Dowleshwaram cotton barrage and Gamman bridge.
The padayatra is all set to enter the town via this bridge on October 17, as per the schedule.
“Never mind. We shall walk through alternative route. At the most, it might extend the duration of padayatra by two more days,” JAC convenor G Tirupati Rao said.
It was on this bridge that Jagan had undertaken massive padayatra in 2018 along with thousands of party workers, though the district administration expressed apprehension that the 100-year-old bridge might get damaged due to tremors.
The YSRC then released drone pictures of the bridge being flooded by thousands of party workers walking along with Jagan. But now that Jagan is in power, his government has sought to prevent 600-odd Amaravati farmers walking on the same bridge.
Meanwhile, Amaravati JAC sent an SOS to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in prevailing upon the YSRC government not to create hurdles to the padayatra by the Amaravati farmers.
On behalf of Amaravati Protection Committee, JAC leader G V R Sastry brought to the notice of Modi that the official machinery and the police were creating one hurdle or the other all through the padayatra route.
The ruling party leaders are provoking the farmers in order to create law and order problem, so that the padayatra could be brought to halt, Sastry said and requested the Prime Minister to give directions to home secretary to ensure proper protection to the padayatra of the Amaravati farmers.
