Andhra Pradesh Congress party’s working president N. Thulasi Reddy on Tuesday slammed the YSR Congress Party government in the State accusing it of “conspiring to thwart” the Maha Padayatra by the farmers of Amaravati.
At a press conference, the senior Congress leader said the farmers of the Amaravati region had given their lands for the development of a new capital. “Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is trying to foil the yatra being taken out from Amaravati to Arasavalli by farmers who gave away their lands and are now seeking justice.”
Referring to the YSRCP leader Dharmana Prasada Rao’s remarks on the padayatra, Mr. Thulasi Reddy challenged the Chief Minister to fight with the Centre and secure the projects and funds promised to the State in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
Alleging that the government tried to portray “fake concern” towards the welfare of north Andhra, he said nobody was stopping the Chief Minister from developing this region.
He said the government should develop Visakhapatnam as the financial, IT and tourism capital of the State by bringing in the promised Visakha Railway Zone and Metro rail project besides halting the privatisation of the steel plant there.
The Chief Minister should also focus on bringing new projects in Rayalaseema region and Prakasam and Nellore districts besides the Kadapa steel plant and Dugarajapatnam port.
The Congress leader said instead of focussing on developmental projects that had been eluding the State, it was unfortunate that the State government was trying to create hurdles for farmers who had set out seeking justice.
