VIJAYAWADA: Taking strong exception to the comments of YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party leaders against the State Government on the issue of Budameru and the capital city Amaravati, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said that those who made the mistake are holding others responsible.
While speaking to the mediapersons on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said, “It is the peak of their arrogance and defiance,” and accused them of slinging mud at others instead of admitting their wrongs. “They are indulging in a propaganda that Amaravati is being submerged. Such people should be drowned in Amaravati. Those who describe Amaravati as a burial ground should be buried there,” he fumed.
Lashing out at the YSRC and its supporters for their comments distorting facts, Chandrababu Naidu said there is a need to teach them a lesson and said, “They all should be banished from the society.”
While the State government is anxious about dealing with the current crisis at hand and another spell of heavy rains, Naidu alleged that YSRC and others are acting irresponsibly. “When the officials irrespective of their ranks, and people irrespective of their status, are engaged in relief works, adopting a humane attitude, these people are engaging in propagating false narrations. They should apologise for such misdeeds,” he stressed.
He observed that fueling false narratives is creating panic among the people at a time when the State government is making every effort to save the people and cover the losses they have suffered. “I have even asked the Union Home Minister to visit the place to see the plight of the people here,” he mentioned.
On the Budameru issue, he said it remains a fact that Budameru has been a constant problem for Vijayawada. Waters from Kothalavagu, Pulivagu, Loyavagu, Gadumadugu, and other streams drain into it. Budameru drain has a capacity of 11,000 cusecs, but 70,000 cusecs of water discharge led to the deluge.
“When there were floods in Budameru in 2005, we protested. Even after promising, the then CM YS Rajasekhar Reddy failed to act on it. When I became the Chief Minister again, I sanctioned Rs 500 crore, but the YSRC which came to power had neglected the project. Had the previous regime plugged various breaches to Budameru, the present crisis might have been averted,” he opined.
The Chief Minister squarely blamed the previous YSRC government for the encroachments on Budameru flood banks and said those encroachments would be removed.