The much-publicised “shramadanam” by Jana Sena Party president and actor Pawan Kalyan and his party workers on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti Day, to repair damaged roads may as well turn out to be a non-starter.
The Jagan Mohan Reddy government is learnt to have given strict instructions to the officials not to allow the Jana Sena workers to take up road-repair works, as they are not authorised to do so.
Pawan, who has been highlighting the bad condition of roads in his statements and public speeches, gave four weeks’ time for the Jagan government to repair the damaged roads. As the deadline expired last week, Pawan announced that he himself would take up road repairs.
While Pawan will take up ‘Sramadanam’ at Dowleshwaram barrage near Rajahmundry in East Godavari and also at Puttaparthy in Anantapur district on Gandhi Jayanti day, his party workers, too, would take up similar ‘Sramadanam’ at different places.
But on Thursday, the irrigation authorities at Dowleshwaram refused to give permission to Pawan Kalyan to take up road repair works on Sir Arthur Cotton barrage at Dowleshwaram.
They categorically told the Jana Sena Party workers that it required technical expertise to take up road repair works on the barrage and any indiscriminate filling up of potholes would cause damage to the barrage.
“Actually, it is not a thoroughfare, but with request from the people, we have given them permission to travel. The road repair works would be taken up only by the department people, not outsiders,” the engineers said.
Sources said Pawan will get the same response in Anantapur district as well, as road laying works have to be done only by the roads and building department engineers.
Yet, Jana Sena Party workers are hell bent on taking up the programme and are making arrangements for Pawan’s visit. Ultimately, it might lead to arrests and protests, creating a tense situation to the common people!
