Our family does not have a history of taking U-turns: YS Jagan

YS Jagan said that in Pithapuram constituency, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA made Rs 100 crores from his sand mafia business. In this constituency, almost 25 rivers are affected by TDP sand mafia's smuggling practices, he remarked.

"Without bribing an MLA, no officer can be transferred from Pithapuram. Recently, an MEO died of heart attack, unable to face the harasment by the MLA. The TDP leaders are trying to grab the assets of Sripada Vallabhaswamy trust, which are worth Rs 100 crores," YS Jagan said.

The Leader of Opposition recalled the efforts of late Chief Minister, Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) to develop the Dhavaleshwaram canal in Pithapuram, which has a capacity to irrigate 40,000 acres in the area. Dr. YSR allotted Rs 25 crores for the work, but the Chandrababu government did not even begin the work, he said.

In 2014, Chandrababu assured the farmers who gave lands for the Kakinada Special Economic Zone (SEZ), that they the lands would be returned. But, after coming to power, the TDP government completely ignored the farmers in the last four years. When farmers from Srirampuram, Ramanakkapeta, Konnala and others staged a protest demanding their lands, Chandrababu attacked them by filing cases against them.

Also, Chandrababu promised to set up a fishing harbour in Kothapalli (u), but it was just an empty promise. The AP CM promised to build a house for every poor man in the state—"How many houses has he built till date?" he asked. In Dr. YSR regime, 15,000 houses were built in this constituency, but not even a single house has been built in the last four years, YS Jagan said. In Rajanna Rajyam, 3,000 people in this constituency were given lands for houses by Dr YSR. YS Jagan observed that it is laughable that Chandrababu, who had promised to build 20 lakh houses in 2014, is now pledging to construct 19 lakh houses in the remaining 6 months.

Pithapuram is famous for its Uppada handloom sarees. But, the handloom industry is in jeopardy due to lack of orders, loan waivers, orders for associations, bank loans and subsidies to the weavers. There was a time when the Uppada sarees used to be sold for Rs 3,000 but now, a saree does not even sell for Rs 800-Rs 1,000.

In Pithapuram constituency, the local public told me that in the last four years, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu did not not fulfil any of his election promises, while, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders continue to exploit all the natural resources, YS Jagan said. The TDP leaders have exploited all the resources like sand, cement, alcohol, electricity and coal, he said. They did not even spare temple lands and ornaments inside the temples, he added.

YS Jagan informed that in the neighbouring states like Karnataka and Telangana, fuel prices were lower by Rs 6-7. The YSRCP Chief added that one need not be surprised if TDP promises one kilogram of gold and a Benz car to every household in the state during the next elections. The Leader of Opposition pointed out that earlier every house was paying electricity charges between Rs 50-100 while now the charges had gone up to Rs 500-1000 per house. He observed that over the last four years, the AP CM had hiked the electricity tariff three times.

In the last four years of Chandrababu rule, Polavaram project work has made zero progress. The Polavaram project after being inaugurated by former Chief Minister, late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy (DR YSR), was initiated and constructed at a brisk pace during his regime. But, in Chandrababu's rule, the project work is moving at a snail's speed, he said.

Chandrababu is making the government schools disappear. In Chandrababu's rule, schools and colleges are being closed down in the name of rationalization, whilst children are not provided with books and uniforms, even after than two months into the academic year, YS Jagan observed. But, corporate schools like Sri Chaitanya and Narayana are continuing to flourish. Neither salaries nor raw material bills are being paid to mid-day meal workers, while no text books are supplied to government schools yet as we near the end of july, he said.

YS Jagan said that when he interacted with Vikas, a student of the Surampalem engineering college, he had learned that the student could not afford to pay Rs 95,000 against yearly college fees. Vikas borrowed Rs 1,80,000 as education loan and is paying Rs 2,500 interest, despite the fact that unemployment rate has risen under Chandrababu.

YSRCP would implement full fee reimbursement besides providing financial assistance to students from Class I to Intermediate. The assurance, a part of the Navarathnalu, includes full fee reimbursement and financial assistance to help students from the economically poor background to access quality education.

According to 2011 census, 32% of the state's population is illiterate. I promise to change it after coming to power, YS Jagan iterated.

If YSRCP comes to power, the Arogyasri scheme, which saved many lives during Rajanna Rajyam, will be reinstated along with the 108 ambulances which had saved many lives under YSR rule, he pointed out. The 108 vehicles used to reach the patient within 20 minutes of intimation, he said. Rajanna Rajyam had an ambulance per mandal while today, not even a single ambulance is available per constituency, he remarked.

In 2014, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu vowed to ban all liquor shops in the state. But, after four years years of his rule, he has ensured that every village had a liquor shop, YS Jagan said. Women in this constituency had a common grievance on the mushrooming of belt shops and complained that liquor addiction was destroying the lives of youth, he added.

The Janma Bhoomi Committees demand money even for ration, pension, houses and toilets, he said.

The TDP leaders have stooped down to the lowest level, when they made sarcastic comments on my recent speech in Jaggampeta.

When various communities asked Chandrababu about implementation of his poll promises, he insults and humiliates them, he said. Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham was deliberately booked under cases, in order to supress their fight, YS Jagan added. The Chief Minister promised to include fishermen under STs and Nayee Brahmins were promised minimum wages, but he fulfilled neither of them, he added.

YS Jagan clarified to the Kapu community members that he would do everything possible within the 50% reservation limit under the purview of the State government, and, unlike Chandrababu, he would not make false and impossible promises.

"In various states across the state, different communities like patels, gujjars, jats and others are demanding reservations for themselves. But, the States have their restrictions for up to 50% reservations. The Centre has not come up with a solution to the longstanding demand. However, Chandrababu promised Kapus on the reservation, when he knew that it was not possible," YS Jagan said.

"The Kapu community knows who betrayed them in the name of reservations. Only Rs 1,300 crores have been allocated till now, as against Rs 5,000 crores for the Kapu community," he said. The TDP should stop politicising sensitive issues and stop creating a rift between different sections of the society, he added.

"Jagan Ane Nenu..." promises to allot Rs 10,000 crores for the development of Kapus, he said. The YSRCP Chief urged the public not to believe in those who make false promises. "Our family does not have a history of taking U-turns after making decisions. The YSRCP supports Kapu reservations, without making any damage to the interests of the rest of the BC community," he promised.