KADAPA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu played it cool at Pulivendula on Wednesday, when opposition YSR Congress Parliament member Avinash Reddy tried to embarass him by giving credit to the late Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Y S Rajasekhara Reddy for Gandikota irrigation project.
After inaugurating the project, the Chief Minister was attending the Janmabhoomi-Maa Vooru programme in Pulivendula, the constituency being represented by his arch rival and leader of YSRCP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, when Avinash Reddy asserted that 85 per cent of the Gandikota project was completed during the regime of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
The MP went on to say that he would never forget YSR for ‘sanctioning Rs 1100 crore of the required Rs 1,300 crore for Gandikota project’.
Chandrababu Naidu was quick on his feet and reminded the MP that it was not a political meeting to shower encomiums on leaders. The CM, who retained his composure, said all government programmes should be above politics.
“I came here not for your votes. I am here to take stock of development so that I can meet my target of turning Rayalaseema into a horticultural hub by providing adequate water to the drought-prone region,’’ Naidu said.
“If you want to praise your leaders you can do it in your party meetings. But, don’t use the government programme as a venue for lauding your leaders and to claim credit for government schemes. In fact, people know who has done what,’’ he said.
Even some of the TDP leaders tried in vain to grab the mike from Avinash to prevent him from singing the praise of YSR.
“There is no need to tell the people who laid the foundation stone for the Gandikota project and who completed it. “It is not proper to claim that only your leaders have done all for the people.
I ensured Pulivendula got water supply before Kuppam, but I have never spoken about it in public,’’ the CM said.
Stating that the government spent Rs 50,000 crore for irrigation projects, Naidu said that his government took up interlinking of rivers to provide water to all parts of the state.
Calling upon the people to lead a happy and healthy life, he said that his government was giving utmost priority to health sector.
With an intention to promote competitive spirit among wards and villages in conducting Janmabhoomi-Maa Vooru, the mass contact programme, the government started giving day-wise gradings.