Sacked forest workers take to the streets

TIRUPATI: Resenting the apathy of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams' (TTD) management in fulfilling their long-pending demands, sacked workers of TTD forest department performed 'Porlu Dandalu' on the roads, here on Sunday.The forest workers, who have been sacked by the TTD sometime ago have been on a relay hunger protest near the TTD administrative building for the last 50 days, are demanding the TTD to reinstate them in either in forest department or any other department in the TTD that requires additional staff.Extending solidarity to the removed TTD forest workers, CPM state executive committee member Somaiah flayed the TTD chairman Kanumuri Bapiraju and executive officer L V Subramanyam for failing to resolve the demands of the forest workers, despite their protests before the TTD administrative building itself for the last 50 days.Reportedly, CPM state secretary B V Raghavulu will arrive in Tirupati in November and will take part in the stir to support forest workers and press TTD management to agree to workers' demands.Somaiah has also said that CPM will raise the issue in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council and would continue the fight until justice is meted out to the workers.