Power, gas problems are Naidu’s sins

Squarely blaming TDP president Chandrababu Naidu for the LPG problems and power scarcity in the state, Sharmila said the state would have surely been spared of the cooking gas price hike and electricity scarcity if Naidu had not handed over the Krishna Godavari (KG) gas basin to the Reliance Industries during his regime.

Sharmila, who is doing Maro Praja Prasthanam Padayatra on behalf of YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, said Naidu handed over KG Basin to Reliance for selfish reasons and to benefit Eenadu Chairman Ramoji Rao.

“KG Basin is a God-gift to us. If Naidu had not handed it over to Reliance, it would have met the needs of our power sector, gas based industries and agriculture besides supplying cooking gas to all our homes through pipe lines,” Sharmila told a huge public meeting at Guntakal in Anantapuram district during the course of Maro  Praja Prasthanam Padayatra on Wednesday.

When YSR became CM, he wrote to the Centre explaining the injustice done to the state on KG Basin and seeking to cancel the decision but Centre too didn’t heed the request. “Through his decision, Naidu facilitated the purchase of Eenadu shares by Reliance at jacked up prices,” Sharmila said, adding Naidu’s decision had betrayed the state.

Sharmila flayed the Centre for not ordering any probe on the KG Basin deal though CAG has said it was a bigger scam than the 2G. “Tehelka website declared Naidu as the richest politician in the country. Naidu allotted hundreds of acres to IMG Bharata at cheaper rates and gave lands to Emaar Properties at Rs.26 lakh per acre while Naidu’s wife sold land at the rate of Rs.1 Cr per acre in the same area. Communists also asked Naidu to explain as to how he has earned more than Rs.2000 Cr in a short span of time but there is no probe against Naidu,” she said lambasting the Centre for favoritism extended to him.

 (Updated on Nov 8, 2012)