VISAKHAPATNAM: Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan on Sunday gave two weeks’ time to the State government to solve problems of construction workers due to sand scarcity. Addressing a large public meeting at the end of ‘long march’ here, Kalyan said if no action was taken, the party would take up an agitation, including a march in capital Amaravati.
Kalyan said he would visit New Delhi to seek the BJP-led Union government’s intervention in sand issue. The actor-turned-politician also came down heavily on YSRC leaders, including party MP Vijayasai Reddy, for dubbing him an adopted son of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. “I am an adopted son of people, not that of Chandrababu,” he said.
Kalyan said he was moved when construction workers met him and explained their travails as construction activity came to a standstill in the State following sand shortage. “When they sought my help in this regard, I planned the long march and invited all parties to it. There is no intention to gain political mileage and there is no immediate elections,” he maintained.
People gave a massive mandate to the YSRC as they believed its leader and his policies. However, the government failed to rise to the people’s expectations, he said. “If Jagan Mohan Reddy ensures good governance, I will go back to act in films,” Kalyan promised.
He said though he lost the elections from both Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram Assembly constituencies, he was moving ahead with the spirit of Kanshi Ram and Ambedkar.
“Those who were in jail for two-and-a-half years for economic offences are questioning me. If the political parties ensured justice to common man, I would not have floated the Jana Sena,” Kalyan observed.
“When the YSRC government announced the new sand policy, I welcomed it. However, the sand supply was stopped abruptly and it took time to announce the new policy and implement it. Now they are blaming rains and floods for sand shortage,” he noted and added that there was no shortage of sand in any other State.
He predicted that the YSRCPgovernment, which began with the demolition of buildings, will collapse on its own. The government stopped Amaravati, power projects, and irrigation projects, he said and added, in a lighter vein, that when there is no development activity, where is the scope for corruption.
The government was maintaining stoic silence over problems of construction workers, who were suffering for the last five months. Several construction workers committed suicide due to sand problem, he said and demanded Rs 50,000 compensation to all construction workers and Rs 5 lakh ex gratia to the kin of those committed suicide.
On the occasion, he thanked BJP, Left parties, BSP, Lok Satta and TDP for supporting the long march.
Speaking at the meeting, former minister and TDP leader Ayyanna Patrudu said the TDP would support the Jana Sena’s agitations on people’s issues in future also. He alleged that sand had become costlier than gold in the State.
“Now a lorry of sand is costing around Rs 50,000 while one tola of gold is much cheaper. Ministers are making cheap remarks against construction workers, who ended their lives. I have never seen such a situation of people undertaking satyagraha for sand,” Patrudu observed.
TDP leader and MLA Atchannaidu said they would make the government mend its ways and ensure the normal supply of sand. Jana Sena PAC member Nagababu said the party would solve the sand problem in 10 days if the government cannot do it. He said the government was playing with lives of 18 lakh registered and 17 lakh unregistered construction workers.
Lok Satta leader Beesetti Babji and Jana Sena leader Nadendla Manohar also spoke.