*YSRCP backs fishermen, slams harbour privatisation move*

Kavali, April 20: YSRCP Nellore District President and former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy asserted that the party will stand firmly with fishermen and fight for their welfare, as the coalition government is taking decisions that harm their livelihoods. Speaking to the media in Kavali along with former MLA Ramireddy Pratap Kumar Reddy, he alleged that the government is attempting to hand over the Juvvaladinne Fishing Harbour, an asset meant for fishermen, to private entities, calling it a grave injustice. He also condemned the reported theft and movement of boats, stating that such incidents hurt the dignity and self-respect of fishermen and reflect the unethical functioning of coalition leaders.
Kakani further stated that the delay in handing over the nearly completed Juvvaladinne harbour, which was substantially developed during the YSRCP regime with an investment of around Rs. 289 crore across 79 acres, is driven by political vendetta to deny credit to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He criticized the allocation of about 29.5 acres within the harbour to a private firm, stating that it deprives fishermen of their rightful resources and raises serious allegations of corruption and kickbacks. He questioned the rationale behind such decisions, accusing the government of prioritizing private gains over public welfare, and termed visits and announcements by leaders like Nara Lokesh as superficial and misleading.
He also raised concerns over a possible conspiracy behind the movement of seized boats, demanding transparency and disclosure of call data linked to the incident. Reaffirming YSRCP’s commitment, Kakani stated that the party will continue to fight for fishermen’s rights, accusing Chandrababu Naidu of showing only “token concern” for the community during elections while neglecting them in governance. He demanded that the government immediately complete the remaining works and hand over the harbour to fishermen, warning that continued neglect and privatization attempts would severely impact their livelihoods.