VIJAYAWADA: Former MP Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao has locked horns with Narasapuram BJP Parliamentarian Gokaraju Gangaraju for not fulfilling the commitment he had made while taking on lease the three acre land on MG Road where there used to be Canal Guest House meant for stay of visiting Chief Ministers and the Prime Minister.
He also questioned the MP as to why no development of Gandhi Hill was taking place and felt that it would remain that way as long as Gangaraju happens to be on the committee which wields control over the hill.
Rao dashed off two letters to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu seeking measures for location of Gandhi Museum atop Gandhi Hill and resumption of the three acre Canal Guest House land without any further delay.
Speaking to mediapersons here on Thursday, Rao, covering quite a number of issues, wanted the State Government and the Centre to act strictly in accordance with the interests of people and people’s representatives should not use their offices for promotion of personal interests.
Referring to the Canal Guest House land, Rao said Gangaraju had taken the land on lease with a promise that he would raise a multiplex that would spur tourism in the city. Though he raised a building, it was not put to use for the purpose it had been constructed.
Though the government is hard pressed for land for construction of offices for several departments, it did not cancel the lease deed and take over the land, he said.
As far as Gandhi Hill is concerned, he wanted a Gandhi Museum be built for the benefit of the posterity atop the hill where a library is located.
He wanted the museum to house texts of teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, portraits and articles of those who laid down their lives for Independence for India and pictures that reflect the resplendent glory of Hindu dharma and other faiths like Buddhism and Jainism.
Rao expressed annoyance over what he calls misplaced priorities of the Telugu Desam Government. “I wonder why Naidu does not think of flyover at Benz Circle, but talks a lot about six-lane road to Amaravati from Anantapur and the outer ring road which entails taking thousands of acres of land under the land pooling and investing thousands of crores of rupees.”
The former MP also came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for thrusting demonetisation on people of the country. “I hear about 80 people have died unable to fight their way into banks and ATMs to withdraw their own money. The government does not even think of paying their kin compensation,” he said.