The coal mine town of Bellampally on the eastern side of Adilabad district observed a bandh on Wednesday demanding creation of a new district with the town as its head quarters. This is the second shut down within 10 days with the same demand.
The bandh was called by the traders belonging to the Arya Vysya Yuvajana Sangham and the Arya Vysya Sangham following which the market area was voluntarily closed.
Activists of the two organisations staged a hunger strike at the old bus stand area where leaders and others cutting across party lines extended support to the demand.
According to Medi Punnamchander and Vidyasagar, leaders of the agitating organisations, Bellampally needs to be made headquarters of the new district to be carved as it has ready infrastructure.
There will be justification also in the fact that the town was the oldest of the coal mining towns in Adilabad district as the first mine was established in 1920.
Among those who expressed solidarity with the agitators were former MLAs Pati Subhadra and A. Sridevi. Leaders of MCPI, CPI, TTDP and the BJP also visited the hunger strike camp.
