Jagan sees package as pittance

New Delhi, Feb 21, 2014:
Lambasting the Congress Party for tearing the state apart for electoral gains
unmindful of the sufferings of one region, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said the
revenue deficit in Seemandhra region would be huge and the package announced by
the Prime Minister was a pittance.

 “The Congress has
undemocratically divided the State throwing all parliamentary practices to
winds to gain some seats in Telangana region and the package was no match to
huge deficit the region would undergo in the coming years. The Congress would
face a rout in the region in the coming years,” he told reporters here on
Friday.

Lashing out at UPA chairperson and
Congress president Sonia Gandhi over the passage of Telangana Bill, Jagan
compared her ‘tyrant’ act with that of Adolf Hitler. "When we talk about a
tyrant, we remember Hitler. The way Andhra Pradesh has been split, Sonia Gandhi
too will be remembered as a tyrant," he said.  

We will
meet the President and explore legal options as well as the manner in which the
Bill was passed in both the Houses of Parliament was akin to slaughter of
democracy. For the unpardonable feat of Sonia Gandhi and her Party in splitting
the State, the Congress prospects have dropped in to an abyss and can never
revive for decades together.

The way the state was
bifurcated, the process adopted and the measure of political intrigue involved
has baffled everyone as democracy has been slain in broad daylight. The
Parliament has taken up a Bill that was rejected by the State Assembly and went
ahead with the division against the will of the assembly and the majority of
the people.

The division was made at a
time when election schedule is due very soon. Congress has split the state with
an eye on the 17 seats in Telangana region and has done injustice to Seemandhra
throwing the region into a situation where it cannot recover. But we will
overcome and teach Congress a bitter lesson in the next election.

The Kadapa MP has censured
the Prime Minister for his one-and-a-half page letter which lacks any soothing
effect to the deprived Seemandhra but has a sprinkle of half baked promises. YS
Jagan Mohan Reddy said why the contents of his letter were not included in the
Bill.

The Prime Minister, who may
not be there for the next term in office, says that we have to vacate Hyderabad
within ten years. Seemandhra was not given a new capital, no funds were
allocated, there was no mention as to where from the funds would flow and for
how long.  

Having taken Hyderabad
away, Seemandhra will have a revenue deficit of Rs 15,000 crores and this is
the figure of 2012-13 and statistics tell that the figure will go up by 14%
annually.  He spoke of covering the gap for one year.

“I wonder what will happen
to Seemandhra after the first year. If the revenue surplus Hyderabad is removed
Seemandhra will starve. There is no mention in the Prime Minister’s address as
to how the gap will be compensated. It took 60 years to build Hyderabad into a
vibrant and revenue surplus city. How long will it take to the proposed capital
city in Seemandhra to reach this magnitude of development? , he asked.

Five year special category
status to Seemandhra is pittance. Any industry to be set up in a new region
takes 3 to 5 years and there will be gestation period as well. The five year
status will serve no purpose and it needs at least 15 year special status to
get things on the track.

No concrete assurance was
given on Polavaram about the completion. There was no mention of Dummugudem-
Nagarjuna Sagar take one project which is lifeline to Krishna ayacut. Nothing
was spoken about no-tamper zones. Water drips into the state only after the
needs of Maharashtra and Karnataka are fulfilled. If another state comes in
between Srisailam and Nagarjuna sagar the fate of new state will hang in a
balance, he said.

Speaking on the
proceedings, he said: “In normal course, the minister seeks permission to
introduce the Bill and the Speaker takes the opinion of the House to know the
mood of the members if they are in favour of the Bill or not. This time-tested
practice was not followed. Just in 10 seconds the Bill was said to be tabled.

Seventeen MPs were
suspended, 15 from the State were evicted from the House and in their absence
the Bill was passed. Even Lok Sabha TV was blacked out, the doors of the House
were shut and people outside were not in a position to know what was happening.
Such a mockery of democracy was exhibited to pass the Bill and the last time
such audacity was shown was way back in 1976, he said.

When it came to Upper
House, the flouting of rules was higher. The Deputy Chairman permits the debate
though there were MPs protesting in the well of House. The same Honorable
Deputy Chairman says that he cannot take up voting on clauses of the Bill as
the House was not in order.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechuri
has walked out in protest against the plurality in which the situation was
handled. BJP being the principal opposition party blames Congress for not doing
the division process in the right way but it has it beak wetted in the process
and has to share the blame as it voted in favour of the division. “I appeal to
all media, social media and advocates of democracy to join us in the fight and
let not Andhra Pradesh division become a draconian precedent. We will emerge as
a formidable force after the polls to do justice to the region, “he said.

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