YSRCP chief slams CM Naidu for false propaganda

Tadepalli: Former Chief Minister and YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy came down heavily on Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and TDP coalition government for spreading false propaganda under the guise of White Papers in the State at camp office here on Friday.

Speaking to media here, the YSRCP chief slammed TDP government not presenting a full budget for 12 months even after 52 days of coming to power and said Chandrababu lacks the courage to present a regular budget, opting instead for a Vote on Account. If he presented a regular budget, he would need to allocate funds for the deceptive promises made before the elections, but he is avoiding it because he doesn’t intend to implement those schemes sincerely, he added.

In regards to State debts, the YSRCP chief said TDP spread false propaganda claiming that the State debt was 14 lakh crore before the elections, and after election results, they claimed it Rs 10 lakh crore. However, as of June this year, the actual government debt stands at Rs 5,18,708 crore.

The YSRCP president said when Naidu left office, the debt was Rs 2,71,798 crore and it was Rs 1,18,051 crore at the time of the State's bifurcation and referring to government guarantees, the debt when Naidu left office was Rs50,000 crore, and under YSRCP government, it increased to Rs1,06,000 crore. The YSRCP president said the total State liabilities were Rs1,53,347 crore when Chandrababu Naidu took office, which increased to Rs4,08,710 crore by the time he left with 21.63 per cent increase while the debt under YSRCP government increased to Rs 7,48,000 crore, with 12.90 per cent increase and therefore, it is evident whose tenure saw a higher increase in debt. He reminded that they, YSRCP government, had directly transferred Rs2.70 lakh crore to beneficiaries through DBT schemes over the past five years and added that even though State received Rs5,655 crore from the Centre on June 10, and the treasury had about Rs 7,000 crore by June 12, Naidu opted for a Vote on Account to avoid fulfilling his promises.

Detailing on the deteriorating law and order in the State, the YSRCP president said that the State has become unsafe for women, with 12 rape cases reported in the past 45 days. He said Chief Minister’s son and former minister Nara Lokesh displayed a Red Book, issuing threats, with hoardings all over the State and questioned what message are they trying to convey.

In regard to sand policy, the former chief minister said the previous YSRCP government sold sand at Rs375 per ton, generating an annual revenue of Rs765 crore for the government implementing a clear and transparent sand policy and added that though Chief Minister Chandrababu’s government is promoting the idea of free sand but it is being supplied at higher rates than what was charged during YSRCP’s tenure. The YSRCP president said the revenue from the Mines and Geology Department was Rs. 2200 crores in 2018-2019 and it was Rs4,000 crore by the end of YSRCP Government’s tenure in 2023-24, and the revenue of APMDC was Rs400 crore in 2018-19 while it increased Rs 3200 crores by the end of YSRCP’s tenure in 2023-24

Refuting the allegations of TDP in regard to Polavaram Project, the YSRCP President said the project works were not carried out systematically in the TDP’s previous tenure and this led to the diaphragm wall being destroyed due to the heavy floods. He said TDP agreed to complete the project at 2013-14 rates, meaning the estimated cost remained at Rs20,398.61 crore and it was due to YSRCP government’s efforts, the Central Water Commission (CWC) approved the revised project cost estimate of Rs55,656 crores. He pointed that the previous YSRCP government completed the concrete works related to the Upper and Lower Cofferdams, the tunnel works related to the hydel projects and the spillway making it easy for smooth flow of 26 lakh cusecs of water through spillway.

Reacting to allegations on Liquor policy, the YSRCP President said the liquor syndicate was rampant, leading to uncontrolled alcohol flow through permit rooms and belt shops during the TDP tenure from 2014–19. He asserted that the YSRCP government did not grant new permits to any distilleries or approve any new liquor brands and the brands President Medal and Hyderabad Blue Deluxe were approved on November 22, 2017, during Chandrababu's tenure as Chief Minister.

He pointed out that the TDP government approved nearly 15 brands of whiskey and brandy and added that there are 20 liquor distilleries in the State, of which 14 were approved during Chandrababu's tenure as Chief Minister. The remaining six distilleries were approved by previous governments and confirmed that YSRCP government did not approve any new distilleries.

He mentioned that the YSRCP government effectively implemented phased liquor control, taking several measures that include reducing the number of liquor shops from 4,380 during the TDP government to 2,934, cancelling 4,380 permit rooms attached to each wine shop and closing down over 43,000 belt shops that operated indiscriminately.

He also mentioned about abolishing the private liquor shop policy and bringing them under government control from October 1, 2019. He also reminded of reducing liquor sales hours to 10 AM to 9 PM and setting up of Special Enforcement Bureau to control liquor mafia. He also condemned the allegations of TDP on poor quality liquor and said the tests on liquor sample revealed that there is no poor quality in liquor.