Andhra Pradesh Congress (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila on Saturday slammed the YRS Congress Party (YSRCP) government in the State for “neglect” of irrigation projects.
Speaking after visiting the Kandula Obul Reddy Gundlakamma Reservoir in Prakasam district, Ms. Sharmila recalled that her father and former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had completed the project by spending ₹750 crore under the Jalayagnam initiative.
“The project is the source of irrigation for over 1 lakh acres of agriculture lands, and it also supplies drinking water to Ongole town and 12 other mandals in the district,” she said.
Pointing to the project’s sluice gate that got washed away during the cyclone, she attributed it to the failure of the government to allocate minimum maintenance funds for its upkeep. She said both TDP and YSRCP neglected the project, pushing it in dire straits.
Ms. Sharmila also accused the government of neglecting the Veligonda project. “YSR had completed 60% of the works, the TDP government did not finish it, nor did the YSRCP government,” she said.
Taking a dig at Irrigation Minister Ambati Rambabu, she said instead of reinstalling the Gundlakamma project gate, the Minister concerned was known for his dance during Sankranti.
Later, addressing a party meeting attended by a large number of youngsters, Ms. Sharmila said the future belonged to the youth. “To ensure a bright future for the youth, I entered Andhra Pradesh politics,” she said.
She accused the TDP and YSRCP of compromising on the future of the youth in the State by “turning into slaves of the BJP.”
“I was born in Andhra Pradesh and I have the responsibility towards people of this State as the daughter of YSR, who always strove for the welfare of the people of this State,” she said.
She alleged that “there are no YSR ideologies left in the YSR Congress Party. ‘Y’ means Y.V. Subba Reddy, ‘S’ stands for Sai Reddy (Vijaya Sai Reddy) and ‘R’ refers to Ramakrishna (Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy).”
“I took up a padayatra covering a distance of 3,800 km and worked relentlessly for the victory of the YSRCP, which was targeting me today,” she said.
The State Congress chief said she was not afraid of anybody and would surge ahead for achieving Special Category Status, Polavaram and other projects promised to the State.
She said that farmers, who were happy under YSR rule, were in debt trap today. “Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has gone back on his promise on job calendar, on implementation of total prohibition, and filling of the 30,000 vacant teacher posts,” she said.
She urged the party workers to stay united and work relentlessly for the party’s victory in elections.
