VIJAYAWADA: Taking strong exception to the remarks of TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh that Uttarandhra had become ganja capital in the YSRC government, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Seediri Appalaraju said it were TDP leaders, who were the real culprits for it.
Speaking to mediapersons on Sunday, he alleged that TDP leaders like Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Bandaru Satyanarayana and son of Ch Ayyanna Patrudu were involved in ganja smuggling. “It is our government, which has controlled the menace and eradicated it through Operation Parivartan. The TDP should be ashamed to make such allegations against the YSRC government,” he observed.
Mocking Lokesh’s claim of TDP making Uttarandhra as the job capital, he dared the TDP leaders to name a few companies that were set up in North Andhra districts during the previous regime.
He also took exception to Lokesh describing Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as ‘Sani’ of Uttarandhra, and sought to know how can a person, who is constructing the international greenfield airport at Bhogapuram be called Sani, how can a person, who announced Vizag as an executive capital of the State be called in such a manner. “Do you think that the Chief Minister should be cursed in such a manner because he is constructing Mulapeta Port, Hiramandalam Lift Irrigation Project and completing Vamsadhara Stage 1 and 2.
Seediri said Lokesh even does not know what companies had come to Vizag in the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government. “Let me enlighten you. Bulk Drug Park is being set up at Nakkapalle, Yokohama Tyres, Inorbit Mall, Infosys and Adani Data Center. In fact, even Wipro and Satyam that came to Vizag were not during the TDP regime,” he pointed out.
The Fisheries Minister sought to know what N Chandrababu Naidu, father of Lokesh, did for the State as Chief Minister for 14 years? “Nothing was done for North Andhra districts though he was longest serving CM of the State. In fact, the people of Srikakulam migrating to other places in search of jobs could also be attributed to Naidu as he failed to ensure industrial development in the region. The very reason for announcing Vizag as the executive capital is to put an end to such migrations,” he highlighted and criticised the TDP chief for failing to construct even a single port during his rule.
Seedari sought to know where are the so called 1.7 crore jobs given by Naidu government. “Is Lokesh insane? Does he not know that Andhra Pradesh has only 1.62 crore families and even in the undivided State the number was not more than 2.82 crore. If he is correct there should be at least half of the families have got teacher jobs. Where are they?” he questioned.
He also denounced the claim of Lokesh that space was provided for an IT company in Srikakulam and asked the TDP leader to show it. “If the people of the State got jobs, it is during our regime. At the time Jagan took over as Chief Minister, the number of permanent government jobs in the State was 3.4 lakh. Now, another 2.2 lakh permanent jobs have been given. In contrast, Naidu provided only 34,000 jobs. Further, our government merged APSRTC into the government,” he said..