Taking exception to the criticism that targeted Visakhapatnam’s brand image, Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao said on Thursday that former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu seemed to believe in political ends rather than development of the all the three regions of the State.
Referring to the talk about Visakhapatnam being prone to cyclones or sensitive zone, Mr. Srinivasa Rao alleged that it was the scheme of Mr. Naidu to stop Visakhapatnam from becoming the Executive capital.
If the city’s image was tarnished because of political differences, history would not forgive, he said at a press conference here.
Those who had burnt the copies of the reports of the G.N. Rao Committee and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) were now quoting them, he said, and accused Mr. Naidu of being double-tongued while YSRCP was consistent in its stand.
TDP leaders in Visakhapatnam talked about sending a resolution welcoming the Executive capital and those in Kurnool welcomed High Court there, he pointed out.
People of North Andhra and Rayalaseema were not against Amaravati, but want their regions to be developed along with Amaravati. On the other hand, Mr. Naidu confined himself to the villages where the agitation was going on, he said.
Either in the combined State or after its bifurcation, the ‘City of Destiny’ had been the hope because of its natural advantages and cosmopolitan culture, the Minister said.
Land pooling
Referring to the criticism against land pooling, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said it was not aimed at benefiting a few influential people as in the previous regime, but would be implemented in a transparent manner with the participation of those willing.
He said the objective was to provide house-sites to the poor, and the Chief Minister himself was supervising the process.
Problem arose when 1.8 lakh applications for house-sites were received in the city, and there was not sufficient land in Gajuwaka, Bheemunipatnam, Anakapalle and Pendurti.
MLC Janga Krishna Murthy and party city president Vamsikrishna Srinivas were among others present.
