Chiru’s State tour from October 9

HYDERABAD: Praja Rajyam (PR) president Chiranjeevi will visit Gangadevipalli, the village that bagged the national award for local governance, in Geesukonda mandal of Warangal district on Thursday, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti.

In a marked departure from his earlier visits to Sircilla and Polepalli that were aimed at getting first-hand information about the weavers’ plight and the special economic zone-affected people, the trip to Gangadevipalli is meant to study the local government system put in place in the village.

The CPI (M)-dominated village shot into news for its committees headed by women at grassroots level that manage drinking water, drainage and sewerage and other amenities.

“We will have to learn lessons from the village for incorporating local government issues in our party agenda,” PR official spokesman P. Mitra said.

Accompanied by another spokesman Parakala Prabhakar, he announced at a press conference here on Wednesday that Mr. Chiranjeevi would commence the first leg of his proposed State-wide yatra on October 9 from Ichapuram in Srikakulam district on Vijayadasami, October 9.
The route for the first phase, expected to last about eight to nine days covering three north coastal districts, had been finalised and the coordinators were fine-tuning the programme to ensure that the film star would interact with the maximum number of people. Committees
Refuting reports that the party had appointed coordinators for districts, they said ad hoc committees had been constituted only to oversee programmes like inauguration of party offices and hoisting party flags on Gandhi Jayanti.

“The party will keep the structure of the panels in public domain once they are finalised. We have not yet finalised any committee,” Dr. Mitra said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader from Nellore C.V. Sesha Reddy formally announced his decision to join the PR.

Mr. Sesha Reddy had distanced himself from the Congress since the elections to Legislative Council when he was defeated by a rebel candidate.

“There is no place for genuine workers in the Congress. This has forced me to quit the party,” he said.