Manuguru (Bhadradri): Pinapaka TRS candidate Payam Venkateswarlu is well aware that he has his task cut out and that the roadmap of his political future lies in the development of Pinapaka Assembly constituency.
Pinapaka, which was once dominated by Maoists, is among the most backward segments in the state; many of the habitations still lack road connectivity and medical and health facilities.
Mandals like Allapalli and Gundala are the most backward in the segment. The constituency has a sizeable number of Adivasis who suffer from fevers every monsoon.
Several bridges are required to give road connectivity to the remote villages since many streams and rivulets, including Kinnerasani, criss-cross the segment.
Mr Venkateswarlu says: “I took initiative and got 14 bridges sanctioned, and work on four is in progress. About 80 per cent of the villages have been provided road connectivity in the last four years.”
Elected from Pinapaka on the YSRC ticket, Mr Venkateswarlu joined the TRS along with Khammam MP P. Srinivasa Reddy.
Observers say that he may face a tough fight if the Congress decides to field Rega Kantha Rao, who was elected from the constituency in 2009.
However, the TRS candidate is confident of getting the votes of youth due to his efforts at generating jobs.
During the last four years, two mega projects came to Pinapaka - opencast mine of SCCL and Bhadradri Power Project, providing jobs for 346 youth.
When asked about the poor health and medical facilities in the remote villages, he said, “Mobile health teams are moving 24x7 to treat the patients.”
Mr Venkateswarlu is working on consolidating his vote bank and is meeting his supporters and TRS workers. He says that while the opposition may have its vote bank, the neutral voters will definitely vote for him.
However, there is some dissension within the party and some of the leaders are campaigning against his candidature.
The party high command has entrusted caretaker minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Mr Srinivasa Reddy to quell the dissent.
