AMARAVATI: Former Minister and TDP leader Kollu Ravindra on Wednesday said that the YSR Congress Party Government had deliberately failed to protect the 34 per cent reservations for BCs in local body elections in the state.

He said that the ruling party had intentionally avoided putting up strong arguments in the Supreme Court which resulted in the backward classes losing a significant portion of reservations they enjoyed in earlier local body elections.

Addressing a virtual press conference here, Mr. Ravindra said that the Jaganmohan Reddy Government had undoubtedly betrayed the BCs just because they were long-standing supporters of the Telugu Desam Party. This Government had engaged top lawyers to argue on Amaravati Capital shifting and AP Council abolition but the same enthusiasm was not shown with regard to protection of BC reservations.

The TDP leader deplored that the YSRCP had got its mandal leader Ramanujam and Reddy Samkshema Sangham leader Pratap Reddy to file cases in the country only to spoil the chances of BC getting back their rightful share of reservations. Nowhere in the Constitution the limits on reservations were written. The BCs constitution 50 per cent of the total population in the state, thereby they have a Constitutional right to a higher reservation percentage in accordance with their large population numbers.

Mr. Ravindra asked why this Government was not bringing an Ordinance to pass on the reservation benefits to the BCs just like in many other issues. He asserted that the BCs have enjoyed 34 per cent reservations for over 26 years in Andhra Pradesh. The BC communities would not keep silent and they would wage an agitation for protection of their rights.

AMARAVATI: TDP leader and former minister K.S. Jawahar on Saturday expressed concern over the YSR Congress Party Government acquiring lands of leather parks without any consideration to support the livelihoods of leather workers in the state.

He demanded that the Government immediately withdraw its efforts to snatch away over 752.90 acres of lands given to leather parks by Leather Industries Development Corporation of AP (LIDCAP) all over the state.

Addressing a virtual press conference here, the TDP leaders deplored that from day one, it has been a single point agenda for the YSRCP Government to take back the assignment and inam lands in order to make dalits landless poor once again. Now, the leather parks' lands are being targetted. Already, 35 acres out of total 75 acres land of leather park at Adigoppula in Durgi mandal was being snatched away in the name of distribution of house sites.

Mr. Jawahar asked dalit leaders in ruling party to give explanation for all this and they should clarify why the Government has failed to give skill training to dalit workers for the sake of their permanent livelihoods. By spoiling leather parks and by taking away assignment lands, the ruling party leaders were attacking self-respect of dalits as a whole. Leather workers JAC leader Nageswara Rao has appealed for protection of leather parks but no action is being taken in this regard.

The former minister deplored that on the Kakinada coast, even the creeks were being filled with soil and mangroves were being destroyed in the name of giving house sites to poor families. The Government should stop such anti-dalit activities and make concerted efforts to provide skill training and livelihood opportunities for leather workers. The TDP would not keep quiet and it would launch an agitation to stop any further destruction of dalits' opportunities by YSRCP.

AMARAVATI: TDP National President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday strongly objected to higher current bills handed over to all sections of people and demanded that the YSR Congress Party Government waive these bills for at least 3 months in view of the Coronavirus lockdown crisis all over the state.

Reminding the YSRCP of its election promise to reduce tariff, Mr. Naidu deplored that the Jaganmohan Reddy Government had lost all credibility and it was people's misfortune to go on suffering in all aspects after having voted this party to power a year ago.

Addressing a virtual press conference here, the TDP Chief appealed to the Government to revert to the old system of consumers classification into A, B and C Groups based on their yearly average consumption as it would reduce burden of increased billing on common people. The newly introduced dynamic billing based Groups classification on each month consumption led to even poor people falling into higher groups and getting abnormally higher bills.

Mr. Naidu pointed out that though the newly formed Andhra Pradesh started with Rs. 16,000 Cr deficit budget in 2014, the TDP Government did not raise power tariff nor imposed any sort of indirect burden on the people who were already hit hard by the state division. As of now, the common people were badly hit for lack of work and income during last two months while migrant labourers returning home were facing untold hardships on the way. In such a time, even an old woman dwelling in a hut got Rs. 3,424 latest bill as against Rs. 200 in March. A mason, who has no work for many months, got a Rs. 10,685 bill as against Rs. 150 in March. They got higher bills because they were placed in higher groups because of changed policy of this Government.

Accusing the Ministers of speaking without awareness or consideration for people, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said that the Groups classification of consumers was broadly aimed at rationalising billing burden in accordance with rises and falls in power usage by different segments of the population. Even this perfect system was being misused in an atrocious manner and without basic commitment to the systemic procedures and guidelines in running a government. BJP leader Kanna Lakshminarayana got an unusually higher bill of Rs. 20,000 against Rs. 11,521 previously. Even TDP leader Bonda Umamaheswara Rao got a bill of over Rs. 50,000 while his previous bill was only around Rs. 9,000.

Mr. Naidu said that instead of responding on people's issues, the ruling party has made it a routine habit to launch counter attacks and accusations on the TDP and Opposition leaders without respect to democratic norms and traditions. The general public should post their increased power bills in social media to expose this Government's unjust and devious methods. While the TDP spearheaded power sector reforms right from 2000 that the entire country followed, the YSRCP's cancellation of PPAs got AP to stand like a destructive model state having lost all its previous credibility. One top industrialist commented that government terrorism was going in Andhra Pradesh, worse more than Bihar.

Referring to cases and arrests of social media activists, Mr. Naidu asserted that the day would come when the YSRCP would be permanently arrested for its misdeeds and demolitions. The case against elderly woman resident of Guntur was false and reprehensible. The police officials will face consequences for filing such false cases in violation of the fundamental rights of the common people.

On the ongoing inter-state river waters issue, the TDP Chief asserted that he had completed the Pothireddypadu irrigation project while the same was started by NTR. The credit to starting and completing most irrigation projects in the State would always go to the Telugu Desam Party. It was the policy of TDP not to cancel tenders called by earlier Governments since it would
lead to court hurdles and the danger of such projects getting stalled. Now, the YSRCP's thoughtless act landed the Polavaram project in court cases and the lifeline project got halted.

AMARAVATI: Telugu Desam Party National President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday asserted that the YSR Congress Party Government has totally failed to fulfill its promises made to farmers while the previous TDP regime implemented crop loan waiver and 'Annadata Sukhibhava' programmes successfully.

He pointed out that while YSRCP is giving just Rs. 7,500 per year under Rythu Bharosa, the TDP has given Rs. 15,000 to each farmer who got Rs. 75,000 total for all five years. Inclusive of loan waiver dues, a farmer should get Rs. 1.15 lakh but the ruling party has caused a loss of Rs. 78,500 now.

The TDP Chief held an online conference with party mandal presidents and senior leaders when he said that the present Government was making grave mistakes in an unprecedented way. False cases were filed and atrocities were being committed on TDP leaders, opposition parties, social media activists, ordinary public, employees and even on the family members of Visakhapatnam gas leak deceased persons. The Centre has given 3 months ration and assured it for two more months but the State government has not shown any concern for poor people.

Stating that the Centre bore 85 per cent rail charges for migrant workers, Mr. Naidu said that the poor families had walked hundreds of kilometres to reach home but the State Government has not come forward to provide any relief. If Anna Canteens are continued, their hunger problems could have been solved. Some migrant workers died on the way and their families would have got Rs. 10 lakh compensation if there was Chandranna insurance cover. Nagaland has announced Rs. 10,000 for migrant workers while Delhi has already given Rs. 5,000. Kerala has given door delivery of 17 items of ration. Different states have given additional assistance to the workers but AP has totally ignored migrant labourers.

The AP Opposition Leader asserted that a legal struggle would be launched against the Government for not paying bills under National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) on priority basis. The Central Government has released necessary funds and AP has over Rs. 6,000 Cr material component funds with it. The Centre and the High Court have given orders to pay the bills already but the ruling party is behaving in an adamant manner. The TDP would fight for making NREGA payments with 24 per cent interest. All documentary evidence with measurement books should be sent from every mandal.

Mr. Naidu expressed concern that in the last one year, funds were being withdrawn without any records and without holding even grama sabhas or social audit. Close vigil should be placed on YSRCP leaders' shady activities and those reports should be sent. In the name of land acquisition for house sites, the ruling party unrolled another scam in buying and levelling of low-lying lands. YSRCP leaders were sharing the booty after selling Rs. 7 lakh worth land for Rs. 70 lakh to the Government. What more, poor families' assigned lands were forcibly snatched away. Ruling party mafia has cropped in every assembly constituency.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu deplored that Build AP has been converted into Sold AP as YSRCP leaders have put up a wholesale sale of AP to loot hundreds of crores in the name of poor people's house sites. Prime lands allotted for hospital expansion in Guntur were being sold away and also police quarters in Visakhapatnam. No Government anywhere in the country has ventured to sell away lands of Collectors' offices, hospitals, market places and police quarters. Selling away existing properties only reflects the bankruptcy of the Government at a time when there are already dearth of public properties.

Mr. Naidu deplored that in just an year, Rs. 81,000 Cr loans were taken by AP but all these funds went into the pockets of YSRCP leaders and not a single developmental project was implemented. Whereas, TDP constructed Polavaram and Amaravati projects and implemented Anna Canteens and many welfare schemes.

The TDP Chief expressed his solidarity to Amaravati farmers and farm collies whose agitation has reached 150 days today. By sacrificing 33,000 acres of lands, the Amaravati farmers have helped create Rs. 1 lakh crore potential for AP Government in the Capital City area. But, Jagan Reddy Government has failed to realise the greatness of such sacrifices.