Leader of opposition in Andhra Pradesh Assembly and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy addressed a massive public meeting in Rajam constituency in Srikakulam district, as part of his popular mass contact initiative, Praja Sankalpa Yatra.
In a blazing attack at AP CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu, he said no progress was made in the Srikakulam district and Rajam constituency in Chandrababu's 14 years in power. While he boasts of being the most experienced politician and the longest serving CM, the locals were complaining of lack of basic amenities and suffering due to a number of civic issues and other problems in the region, he added.
He recalled that during the regime of late CM Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy, the local bus stand was expanded. Road connections to Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Palakollu were made possible during Rajanna Rajyam, he added.
YS Jagan said Dr YSR was the statesman behind the Thotapalli project, 35,000 new pensions and 32,000 houses in the constituency. The Madduvalasa residential college was set up in Dr YSR's rule, he recalled.
The YSRCP chief said that in Rajam, Chandrababu did nothing in the last four years. On 6 January, 2015, when Chandrababu visited the constituency to take part in the Janma Bhumi-Maa Vooru program at the bus stand, he promised to expand the roads within three months, he added.
"Out of the Rs 56 crore required to expand the roads, Chandrababu provided just Rs 10 crore in the last four years. Did Chandrababu deliver on his promises made in 2014--the Rajam satellite city, turning the four rivers into parks, degree college building among others?" he asked.
YS Jagan said that Chandrababu, in his capacity as a CM, promised to develop the Thotapalli left and right canals, but, three months before polls, Chandrababu called for tenders in the name of modernization in Thotapalli project, after ignoring it for the last four years.
In various mandals in the constituency, the farmers are in distress. Not even a minor canal was completed in TDP rule. In the last four years, Chandrababu affected thousands of pension beneficiaries through the Janma Bhumi committees.
In Rajam constituency, 18 governement schools, an SC hostel in Dulapeta and BC hostel were closed down in the last four years, he said. Only one 108 vehicle is available to serve the needs of the locals in the constituency. Chandrababu should be ashamed of the status of the Arogyasri scheme in the State, he added.
YS Jagan further said that the local industries were in dire straits. In the last four years, 15 industries including steel factories, oil mills, cable industries and jute mills had closed down, affecting 20,000 workers.
In the Neeru-Chettu program, Rs 20 crore were looted by the TDP leaders in the constituency. "Rampant sand mining activity in Kondavalasa, Kandisa, Sangam. Regidi, Kothuru, Ramachandrapuram and Vari Agraharam. At Pandavula Konda in Madduvalasa, the TDP leaders were carrying out illegal granite mining. After the local officers acted on it and seized the material in the mining site, local minister Kala Venkat Rao transferred the officer and resumed mining activity."
He added that the YSRCP would give the 3,400 crore loss caused by cyclone Titli after coming to power. In Chandrababu Naidu's rule, the Titli cyclone incurred crop loss and loss of property, but, not even a single rupee was given to the district. Till now, the State government gave just Rs 520 crore towards relief activities.
The Leader of Opposition narrated a recent newspaper story: "A family of six people traveled from Rajahmundry to Annavaram and they were charged Rs 900. While returning to Rajahmundry, the family was charged just Rs 339 in a bus belonging to the Telangana government."
YS Jagan called on the locals to give a thought on choosing the right leader for voting to power in the upcoming elections. He said Chandrababu was touring across States to meet Kumaraswamy, Stalin and Mamata Banerjee just to save his face. He recalled that in June 2019, the Congress released a book called charge-sheet on the corruption and irregularities on Chandrababu's four year rule.
Later, Chandrababu proposed a TDP-TRS alliance in Telangana. But, TRS leader KTR rejected it in an outright fashion saying the alliance would never be formed. Within just two months, in October, Chandrababu shamelessly forged an alliance with the Congress.
"Would Chandrababu have attacked the Congress had the TRS accepted his proposal for an alliance?"