Amaravati farmers ignored as government pushes second phase without fixing first

Tadepalli, Jan 10: YSRCP State Coordinator Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy on Friday raised serious questions over the Chandrababu Naidu government’s handling of the Amaravati capital project, accusing it of ignoring farmers’ unresolved problems while hurriedly moving towards the second phase of land pooling.
Speaking to the media, Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy said former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had raised legitimate questions on Amaravati that the ruling government is unable to answer. He pointed out that nearly 50,000 acres were taken from farmers in the first phase, yet even basic development has not been completed. There are no proper roads, no connectivity, and no plot development, leaving farmers in distress.
Sajjala said Jagan questioned whether it was not true that returnable plots were allotted in tanks and low-lying areas, making them unsellable. He asked who would buy such plots if they are not developed. He said the problems created by Chandrababu Naidu in Amaravati are directly affecting farmers’ lives, while the government is offering unrealistic promises to second-phase farmers without resolving first-phase issues.
He further stated that Chandrababu Naidu spent only around Rs 5,000 crore on Amaravati during the past five years, while first-phase development itself would require nearly Rs 1 lakh crore. At the present pace, he questioned when the capital project would actually be completed.
Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy also alleged that Amaravati has turned into a hub of scams. He said the government has already borrowed over Rs 40,000 crore in Amaravati’s name but is not spending it on priority works. He questioned the need for an oversized Secretariat, pointed to inflated construction costs, and alleged commission-driven contracts.
Chandrababu Naidu has turned Amaravati into the “mother of all scams,” Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy said, while making it clear that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has never been opposed to the Amaravati region. He said Jagan wanted development to take place in Amaravati and had demonstrated this commitment even before the 2019 elections by building his house and the party office in the area. After Amaravati was declared the capital, Jagan continued to reside there. In contrast, Chandrababu Naidu has not built a house in Amaravati so far and is staying in an illegal residence, which itself has become another scandal. Sajjala said the public can easily judge which of the two leaders has acted with honesty and integrity.