By IANS,
Hyderabad : Telugu superstar-turned-politician Chiranjeevi will embark on a state-wide tour Oct 6 to take his newly-floated Praja Rajyam party closer to the people.
He will start the much-awaited tour from Srikakulam district, the northeastern tip of Andhra Pradesh. After covering the coastal districts, the star will visit Telangana region in the second phase. The third phase will take him to Rayalseema region.
“I will cover 50 km every day interacting with the people and explaining to them the policies of Praja Rajyam,” he told a news conference here Sunday.
Chiranjeevi, who floated his party Aug 26, the birth anniversary of Mother Teresa, will be launching a week-long flag festival Oct 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. During the festival, the party flags will be hoisted in every village, town and city.
The party will also launch its membership drive on the same day. “I will give first membership to physically challenged Balakrishna Naidu and I will take the second membership,” Chiranjeevi said. He had already announced the physically challenged youth would be the first member of the party.
The Praja Rajyam founder said the party would also plant 10 million trees all over the state during the flag festival. He asked all his fans and supporters to take part wholeheartedly in the plantation drive to increase the green cover and save the environment.
“Each person becoming the member of the party will have to plant a sapling,” he said.
The film actor, who recently visited Sircilla town to meet families of weavers who ended their lives during last few years, expressed deep shock over the suicide by three weavers in the town.
He announced financial help of Rs 25,000 to the families of five weavers who committed suicide during last few days. He said the government should take immediate steps to help the crisis-ridden weavers community.
Chiranjeevi, who said he entered politics after being inspired by former president A.P.J Abdul Kalam, criticized him for his support to the India-US nuclear deal.
“He is a scientist and a statesman and he should not get involved in a political issue. Perhaps he has not carefully read the documents of the nuclear deal. It has a far reaching implications for the country,” he said.
Chiranjeevi, who Friday visited Polepalli in Mahabunagar district to meet those displaced by pharma Special Economic Zone (SEZ), advised Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to visit Gujrat and see how the SEZs were being developed there without harming the interest of the farmers.
“There should be no place for developing real estate in the SEZs. The land should be used only for the industrial activities,” he said.