Relay hunger strike by TTD forest workers enters 885th day

On Wednesday, the relay hunger strike by TTD forest workers entered the 885th day, with no solution in sight

The woes of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) forest workers continue to remain, notwithstanding an assurance by the Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, a resolution by the TTD Trust Board and a direction to this effect by the High Court.

On Wednesday, the relay hunger strike by the forest workers entered the 885th day, with no solution in sight to their demands that have always been met with a firm ‘Yes’. The hunger strike camp at Alipiri continued to get support from all political parties, though it was initially launched under the banner of the CPM’s trade union arm, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

The workers, with the support of the local legislator B. Karunakar Reddy, had met the then opposition leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who assured to get their services regularised upon coming to power. The TTD trust board Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy had also given an assurance to this effect. Immediately after taking charge, Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy had also offered to implement time scale.

“From the Chief Minister to the TTD Chairman and finally the Executive Officer, all of them have let us down”, said CITU District Secretary Kandharapu Murali, while addressing the workers. He accused the state Government and the TTD of not heeding to the direction given by the High Court to this effect.

Referring to the YSR Congress Party’s outreach schemes like ‘Jagananne Ma Bhavishyathu’ and ‘Jagananne Ma Nammakam’, he wondered how could they believe in Mr. Jagan as their future, when his promise made way back in 2019 remained unaddressed.