Special Correspondent, The Hindu

The two left parties, CPI (M) and the CPI, along with their frontal units, have expressed anguish over the spate of problems confronting residents and the working class living under Tirupati Municipal Corporation and in its outlaying colonies.

CPI’s State committee member, P. Harinadha Reddy, district party secretary, A. Rama Naidu and other leaders while addressing a workers’ meeting here on Sunday highlighted the non-distribution of ‘Aadhaar’ cards, though the fate of poor and middle class hinged heavily on it to get their LPG cylinders, social security payments in to their bank accounts and what not.

The CPI leaders also criticised the UPA government saying they were using ‘Aadhaar’ card as a ploy to deny citizens their social security benefits, subsidised cooking gas and other benefits.

It was in this context that the leaders renewed their call for a ‘joint fight’ by the two left parties against the ‘indifferent attitude’ of the Central and State governments against the problem of people. City party unit leaders, R. Venkaiah, Chinnam Penchalaiah and others spoke.

Meanwhile, CPI (M) expressed concern not only over the gross understaffing of the wing manning the Underground Drainage System (UDS) in the city (barely 20 to cover 50 divisions) but also on the problem of ‘erratic levels’ in the Underground Drainage System network which cause sewage water to be flooding the roads daily somewhere in the city.