VIJAYAWADA: The Congress party, CPI, and CPM criticised the Governor’s address in the Assembly on Monday, calling it a mere repetition of the ruling coalition’s election manifesto without clear direction on governance. APCC chief YS Sharmila Reddy ridiculed the speech, stating it lacked clarity on the implementation of the ‘Super Six’ promises. She pointed out that while a gas cylinder subsidy was provided, there was no mention of the timeline for fulfilling the other five commitments.
Sharmila expressed disappointment, stating that people who had been waiting for the promises to be implemented were left frustrated. She questioned the claim of attracting Rs 6.5 lakh crore in investments and the creation of four lakh jobs. Criticising YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s approach, she asked whether his presence in the Assembly was merely to retain opposition status rather than addressing public concerns.
CPI demands priority to housing sector in Budget
CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna urged the government to prioritise the housing sector in the State budget and allocate Rs 5 lakh per house under the Housing for the Poor programme, demanding a total allocation of Rs 10,000 crore. He also sought clarity from the Centre and State government on the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), warning that CPI would stage a protest against it on March 14.
Criticising the Governor’s speech, Ramakrishna said it merely reiterated the ruling coalition’s poll promises without addressing key issues such as the rising costs of chili, paddy, and cotton, as well as the lack of remunerative prices for farmers.
Governor’s speech redundant: CPM
CPM State secretary V Srinivas Rao echoed similar concerns, stating that the Governor’s address lacked any new initiatives and failed to address crucial issues like agricultural support prices, employment guarantees for rural workers, and industrial safety. He noted the absence of details on implementing Super Six, Thaliki Vandanam, and Annadata Sukhibhava schemes.
While the announcement of Mega DSC was mentioned, Rao criticised the lack of a concrete implementation timeline. He also slammed the claim that “no farmer is in distress today,” calling it a misrepresentation of reality when tenant farmers and agricultural workers are struggling due to low support prices for crops.