Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy is vying to secure a hat-trick win from the Dhone Assembly segment in Kurnool district. In an interview with K Madhu Sudhakar, the legislator elaborates on the development works worth Rs 3,000 crore taken up in his constituency. On YS Sharmila’s entry into politics, Buggana asserted that the APCC chief’s electoral debut will have no impact on YSRC’s prospects.
Can you elaborate on the development projects taken up during your tenure as Dhone MLA?
During my tenure, I took up development works worth Rs 3,000 crore in Dhone Assembly constituency. There were issues pertaining to water supply, roads, job opportunities and even hospitals till 2014. Keeping these issues in mind, I was able to take up several projects such as establishing 100-bed hospital with modern medical equipment at a cost of Rs 37 crore, Rs 351-crore water grid to supply purified water to every house and taps connection with Rs 44 crore. Additionally, irrigation projects were taken up with Rs 254 crore to tackle drought conditions, roads leading to various towns and highway from Dhone to Nandyal were built with Rs 630 crore. To improve standards of education, junior college and BC residential school was built with Rs 36 crore, Industrial Training Institute with Rs 11 crore, junior college and social welfare school with Rs 28 crore, junior college and BC welfare school with Rs 36 crore, polytechnic college with Rs 25 crore and veterinary polytechnic college with Rs 11 crore. An integrated terminal market was also set up with Rs 49.50 crore, among other development projects.
Are there any issues that still need to be addressed?
Dhone constituency is a drought-hit zone. Hence, there is need to do some more work such as resolving drinking and irrigation issues. My next priority would be to find permanent solutions to all issues. I sill lay special focus on creating job opportunities and providing work locally to every job seeker here. Additionally, Dhone will be made a model constituency in the State for next five years.
Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy, the TDP’s candidate in Dhone, has a stronghold over Kurnool region. It appears he could give you a tough fight.
Prakash Reddy is banking on the work done by his father and former chief minister Kotla Vijayabhaskhar Reddy, which will not help his electoral prospects. He has failed to contribute to the development of Dhone. During his tenure as the Union Minister of State for Railways, he had promised to establish a railway coach factory in Dhone, but did not keep his word. After being absent from the political scene in Dhone for nearly 15 years, Prakash Reddy has returned to the constituency solely to protect his political interests. Him and his family have contested from various other segments in the region over the past few years.
If he doesn’t win Dhone seat, where will he go next? He seems to have no fixed address. He keeps shifting his focus from one place to another as per his convenience. Laddagiri village, where his father was born, has no road connecting to the the town.
Will YS Sharmila Reddy’s entry into electoral politics have an impact on YSRC’s prospects of securing another term in the State?
Congress party has no significance in the State. YS Sharmila’s entry in electoral politics will have zero impact on the YSRC’s prospects in the elections. No one even remembers the names of Congress MLAs. How will they even make an impact?