Making light of the government’s assertion that the three capitals were aimed at ensuring equitable development, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Thursday questioned the government as to why it stopped work on the Polavaram Left Main Canal if it really had concern for the north coastal Andhra region.
Addressing the media here on Thursday, Mr. Ramakrishnudu alleged that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was stoking regional passions and creating a rift between people under the garb of three capitals.
Growth rate
The government was diverting the attention of the people from its failures, he said. The growth rate was high during the TDP rule, and the State had attracted huge investments.
“The growth rate has fallen to 4% now under the YSRCP dispensation. Development has come to a grinding halt,” he said.
‘Brand image hit’
The TDP government had chosen Amaravati as the Capital after making extensive study. Amaravati was not an issue just relating to the farmers but linked to finances and State’s development. The TDP government had strived hard to create wealth for five years. Wealth was required for the development of the State. The brand image would suffer badly with the government’s decision,” he said, adding, “It appears that Mr. Reddy is trying to help other States.”
In fact, there was no demand to shift the Capital to Visakhapatnam. Soon after the government’s announcement, people were worried about encroachments, he said.
‘Era of betrayal’
“Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy has set his eyes on Visakhapatnam. The government is making tall claims on welfare schemes. But the fact remains that ration cards of 22 lakh families have been withdrawn. This is not ‘Navasakam’ (new era) but ‘nayavanchana sakam’ (an era of betrayal),” he observed.
TDP official spokesperson P. Anuradha said that Deputy Chief Minister (Tribal Welfare) P. Pushpa Sreevani should understand that the administration did not mean doing a TikTok.
Ms. Sreevani was never available to the people, she alleged.
“It is not correct on her part to criticise Bhuvaneswari, wife of TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu. Ms. Bhuvaneswari donated her bangles to the farmers who were agitating against the government’s decision,” she added.
