Andhra Pradesh farmers leave on bicycles to Tirumala to seek special status

Rajahmundry: A group of nearly 200 farmers from East Godavari district have set on a journey to Tirumala on bicycles to seek blessings of Lord Venkateswara for Andhra Pradesh to be accorded special category status.

The farmers, mainly vegetable cultivators, left from Jonnadha village of Alamuru mandal in East Godavari for Tirumala last night, a farmer P Venkateswara Swamy said.

The farmers are expected to reach Tirumala in AP's Chittoor district, which is about 500 kms from here, by tomorrow night, he said.

"We are going to Tirumala to offer prayers and seek the blessing of Lord Venkateswara Swamy to provide rains and solve the farm sector problems, besides sanction of special status to Andhra Pradesh by the Central government and all round development of the state," he said.

"Due to natural calamities and division of Andhra Pradesh, the farm sector is facing severe problems, lack of employment opportunities, and the state is reeling under several other problems. There is every need to develop the state on all fronts," he said.

The farmers will travel through Ravulapalem, Vijayawada, Guntur and other places before reaching Tirumala. Swamy claimed that it was for the first time that farmers had left for Tirumala on bicycles to seek blessings of the Lord for rains and good health for the people of the state.