VIJAYAWADA: Ridiculing Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s claims of corruption-free government in the State, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan has asked him to pay a visit to Guda village in Visakha Agency where a leader, who defected to TDP from YSRC, has amassed huge wealth by resorting to large-scale illegal mining. Addressing public gatherings at Paderu, Madugula, and Narsipatnam in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, he wondered whether damaging the environment by blasting hills for mining sans permission is not corruption.
He said Guda is facing drinking water crisis as the only well in the village has got polluted due to illegal mining. “Not even Grama Sabhas are conducted in tribal villages to seek people’s permission for mining. Is it not corruption? There are no roads in this village, but they are laid to Heritage centres in Chittoor district with panchayat funds. The CM says roads were laid on a stretch of 17,000 km in the State. Where are the roads in tribal villages?” he questioned.
Pawan Kalyan said if the situation in villages is so pathetic due to illegal quarrying of granite, it would be worse if bauxite mining is taken up. He wondered how Araku would be in 2050 if the situation in the Agency area does not improve. “I assure you that Jana Sena will stand by the people and fight to protect their rights,” he said amid applause.The Jana Sena chief said in the very village adopted by the Chief Minister, the NTR Sujala scheme is not functioning and the villagers are denied safe drinking water.
He also found fault with the government for not appointing adequate number of doctors at Agency hospitals. Pawan Kalyan recalled his interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 and said he only wanted justice to the people of the State, particularly those in Uttarandhra.
He said the CM is repeating the mistake he had committed by developing only Hyderabad in the undivided state.