Accusing Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of cheating the people of Uttarandhra in the name of Visakhapatnam as Executive capital, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary Nara Lokesh alleged that three YSRCP leaders, Y.V. Subba Reddy, Botcha Satyanarayana and V. Vijaya Sai Reddy, have exploited all the resources and indulged in large-scale land grabbing in this region. He promised that after the TDP-JSP alliance forms the government, they would develop Vizag into an IT, financial and medical devices manufacturing hub.
Mr. Lokesh’s ‘Shankaravam’ campaign entered Visakhapatnam district on Saturday. While the first public meeting was conducted at Pendurthi Assembly constituency under the leadership of former MLA Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, the second public meeting was held at Bheemunipatnam under constituency in-charge Korada Rajababu.
During the meetings, Mr. Lokesh said that Vizag used to be the most happening city during the TDP government, but during the last five years, the city has seen a rise in crime, and ganja smuggling, while the YSRCP leaders had ‘‘ignored development and were involved in grabbing valuable lands’‘.
‘’The YSRCP has failed to get the Railway Zone with Vizag as headquarters. The government has also failed to get the metro rail project going, provide water to irrigation fields, and bring in investments which would have generated employment,’‘ he said, adding, ‘‘the Chief Minister himself has destroyed the Rushikonda Hill and built a palace with ₹500 crore budget, while development activities took a back seat.’‘ The TDP leader also alleged that the funds of the GVMC, and the Centre’s UGC grants were looted by the YSRCP government.
Alleging that the YSRCP government has completely failed to take steps against the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) privatisation, Mr. Lokesh said, “After the TDP-JSP alliance forms the government, if necessary, the State government will take over the VSP, and operate the plant, and ensure that there are no job losses.”
Mr. Lokesh said that during the TDP government, they provided ₹4,800 crore for development of the Pendurthi Assembly constituency. Both the Centre and the State government had initiated steps for three universities in the region. Similarly, Anandapuram-Anakapalli six-lane road, development of MedTech zone, and the ₹450 crore underground drainage project were initiated by the TDP government, he said, adding that though the TDP government had completed 6,200 TIDCO houses in Pendurthi, the YSRCP government had not handed them over to the beneficiaries.
He promised to resolve ‘Panchagramalu’ issue and the ‘Thadi relocation’ matter at the earliest besides laying a six-lane road between Sabbavaram and Sheela Nagar.
At Bheemunipatnam, Mr. Lokesh said when he was the IT Minister, he had made efforts to bring many investments, while developing Millennium Towers at Rushikonda. ‘‘But the YSRCP government had forced investors out of the State,’‘ he alleged.
The TDP government had taken up around ₹1,000 crore worth development activities in the Bheemunipatnam constituency, which includes laying of CC roads, BT Roads, constructing an indoor stadium, Millennium Towers and TIDCO houses. ‘‘But in the last five years, YSRCP leaders were involved in grabbing land worth ₹2,500 crore in the constituency,’‘ he alleged.
Mr. Lokesh promised to construct an RTC complex and Rythu Bazaar, besides taking up Bheemunipatnam main road extension, upgrading Bheemunipatnam hospital by increasing the bed strength to 100 and development of local water bodies. He also promised construction of a jetty in two years and bringing back welfare schemes for fisherfolk.
TDP leader M. Sribharat and JSP leader P. Sandeep also spoke.
Heaps praise on Pawan
During the meetings, Mr. Lokesh heaped praise on JSP president K. Pawan Kalyan, saying that it was the JSP chief who immediately reached him and extended support, when TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu was arrested.
He alleged that the YSRCP social media has been trying to create a rift between the alliance partners and warned the ‘karyakarthas’ to be very cautious and not to believe in false propaganda.
Mr. Lokesh gave away certificates to 50 party workers each at Pendurthi and Bheemunipatnam, who have worked hard during ‘Babu Surety – Bhavishyattu Guarantee’ campaign of the TDP. He also asked the workers to conduct a door-to-door campaign about the ‘Super Six’ guarantees.
