VIJAYAWADA: Differences in the ruling TDP came to the fore Friday with Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas (Nani) taking Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao head on at a function here in full public view.
In an advice laced with sarcasm, he suggested that Uma, considered numero uno in Krishna district party affairs, discuss issues related to development of Vijayawada with other people’s representatives and with him rather than just review proposals with officials. The MP said because of the actions of the minister and officials, the state government’s image was taking a beating. “Though Vijayawada has been declared capital of AP more than six months ago, there has so far been no development,” he alleged. Venting his ire on officials for keeping him in the dark on projects, he termed the sewage treatment plant — inaugurated at the function by Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana a little earlier — useless.
He targeted police commissioner AB Venkateswara Rao for “imposing night curbs” on the movement of people, and municipal officials for poor sanitation. If the commissioner’s action brought bad name to the city, the municipal officials’ lack of interest had resulted in piling up of garbage all around, he said.
Nani blamed lack of coordination between officials and people’s representatives for the delay in getting the clearance for a flyover at Kanakadurga temple. “The file is pending in Delhi, but no one disscusses the subject with me,” he exclaimed.
Uma, in his turn, stressed the importance of coordination among officials, ministers, mayor, legislators and corporators but left out the name of the local MP. As he was making this observation, Nani, who was sitting on the dais a little away from him, wondered aloud whether MPs were not worthy of consultation.
Embarrassed by his outburst, Narayana tried to control the damage by agreeing with him on lack of coordination. “Lack of coordination is a legacy of the Congress party’s 10-year misrule. The situation cannot be changed overnight. Our efforts have yielded some results,” he said.