Indrakaran Reddy demands State govt to resolve ethanol factory row
Nirmal: Former forest minister Allola Indrakaran Reddy condemned lathi-charge against agitating farmers and to withdraw cases booked against them for opposing establishment of an ethanol factory at Gundamapalli village in Dilawarpur mandal recently. He addressed pressmen here on Monday.
Responding to allegations leveled against him, Reddy clarified that the BRS had never supported the creation of the factory and extended solidarity to farmers in the past. He stated that the work on the unit was stalled. He demanded the leaders of Congress and local MLA Maheshwar Reddy as to why the work on the unit was expedited soon after the party assumed power.
The ex-minister charged that the union government gave nod to the ethanol factory without recording views of the public. He said that officials from the Centre did not hold consultations with the stakeholders affected by the factory. He alleged that Maheshwar Reddy’s followers laid the foundation stone to the factory. He said that they were the driving force behind the factory and helped it to buy the land here.
Maheshwar Reddy was associated with the Congress when the organisation executed a sale deed in November of 2022. He stated that the followers were trying to sling mud against him. He declared that the BRS would launch a stir on behalf of the farmers if the establishment of the factory was not stopped. He demanded the Congress to bring the issue to the notice of the Centre.
Reddy wanted the officials concerned to conduct consultations with the villagers and to shift the factory. He stated that the farms would be affected with the advent of the unit, besides polluting water and air.