Tehsildar manhandled by Vamsadhara evacuees in AP

SRIKAKULAM: Tension prevailed at the Hiramandalam tehsildar office after a group of evacuees of Vamsadhara project evacuees manhandled tehsildar Kali Prasad on Wednesday, alleging discrimination in the disbursal of youth package as part of the rehabilitation and resettlement package announced for the project. 

The tehsildar who was reportedly collapsed on the chair after being beaten up by the evacuees was rushed to a local hospital by his colleagues before being shifted to RIMS hospital in the district headquarters on the direction of Collector K Dhananjaya Reddy.

According to eyewitnesses, around 50 residents from Duggapuram, which comes under the Vamsadhara project area, approached the Hiramandalam tehsildar on Wednesday morning, alleging that they were being discriminated in disbursal of the R&R package. Claiming that they were yet to receive the package as promised, the protesters, mostly youth, exchanged heated arguments with the tehsildar.   

“The youth accused the administration of disbursing the R&R benefits to a select few, leaving aside the genuine beneficiaries. They also complained that despite repeated appeals, the officials have been turning a cold shoulder. And it led to heated arguments,” sources said.

Some of the protesters reportedly beat the tehsildar and the latter collapsed on the chair. The injured tehsildar was rescued by his colleagues and was rushed to a local hospital nearby. 

Upon information, Collector  Dhananjaya Reddy rushed to Hiramandalam and met the tehsildar at the hospital. He asked the officials to shift him to the RIMS hospital in Srikakulam.

According to police, a case has been registered and of the 13 people, identified as accused, seven have been taken into custody while the rest are at large. The Collector instructed the police to deploy two constables at the tehsildar’s office and set up CCTV cameras on the premises.