It appears as though the proposal to shift Indira Gandhi Zoological Park has been made public only to gather people’s opinion, and no ground work seems to have been done, retired Vice-Chancellor of Acharya Nagarjuna University V. Balamohan Das has said.
Expressing his solidarity with the children of the Vizag Children’s Club, who staged a demonstration at the Gandhi statue opposite the GVMC office here on Sunday, Prof. Balamohan Das expressed the hope that no drastic measures would be taken by the government.
“If the government ignores public opinion on the issue and goes ahead with its proposal, everyone in the city would come out and stage a protest,” he said.
A number of children donning masks of different animals expressed their unhappiness at the prospect of not being able to visit the zoo park.
‘Indifferent attitude’
The proposal reflects a larger issue — that the government has become indifferent to the opinion and feelings of the common man.
“People in power are pushing their personal agenda in total disregard for public welfare. The government, which claims to be committed to the welfare of every citizen, is going ahead with projects that are detrimental to the interests of a large population,” CPI State assistant secretary J.V.V. Satyanaraya Murthy said.
Citing an example, he said: “The government has done nothing to address the problems posed by the NTPC Simhadri Power Plant. The displaced persons have not been given employment. Fly-ash is a major problem and the hot water being released into the sea is killing fish,” he pointed out.
“Now, the government has allotted another extent of land to the NTPC to build a bigger power station at Pudimadaka in total disregard for the lives of the residents of the villages in the vicinity,” Mr. Satyanarayana said.
Pudimadaka project
The CPI would oppose the proposed Pudimadaka project at the forthcoming public hearing, he said.
A large number of youth activists of the India for Youth Society and CPI leaders participated in the protest.
